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The Saudi Press Agency reported that Vice Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji represented Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah at the third high-level GCC-EU forum held in Brussels. Elkhereiji was joined by Manal Radwan, minister plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The gathering focused on enhancing security and strategic cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union in addition to advancing international peace and security.
A readout on the EU Council website stated that the informal high-level forum took place during a lunch break on July 13 as part of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting. Participants from both sides confirmed the importance of active outreach and close coordination with Gulf partners to bolster regional stability. This session followed earlier forums including one in Luxembourg in April 2024 and a second in Brussels in April 2025, according to prior EU and GCC documentation.
The National reported that discussions included the EU expressing solidarity with Gulf states amid Iran’s latest attacks on the region, which intensified after recent US strikes on Iranian targets. Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, chaired the meeting. The agenda also covered broader efforts to address conflicts affecting Middle East stability.
A joint statement published by the GCC Secretariat in October 2025 welcomed the results of the previous security dialogue and encouraged continued engagement between the two sides. The statement further noted that the next GCC-EU summit would convene in Saudi Arabia in 2026 following the inaugural summit hosted in Brussels in October 2024. Such meetings have progressively built a framework for addressing shared political and economic priorities.
The EU Special Representative for the Gulf posted on X that the third forum concluded in Brussels as an occasion to reaffirm EU support for security and cooperation across the region. The representative emphasized the role of these dialogues in tackling common challenges. Further high-level contacts are expected in preparation for the upcoming summit to be held in the kingdom.
