The Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, has on Wednesday arrived in Brussels, Belgium, to take part in the first summit that gathers the leaders of the European Union (EU) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, received the Saudi Crown Prince upon his arrival at the Europa building in Brussels, according to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is leading the Saudi delegation at the GCC-EU Summit, following directives from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Michel, alongside the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, are co-chairing the GCC-EU Summit. The first-of-its-kind summit aims to develop a closer partnership with the GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, at a time of challenging geopolitical circumstances, amid the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
The GCC-EU Summit focuses on strengthening cooperation across a wide range of key topics. These include common global challenges, trade and investment, energy, sustainability and climate, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.
Moreover, the Summit is prioritizing addressing the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, according to Al-Arabiya. The Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, told reporters on Wednesday: “We are partners with aligned interests,” expressing his hope that these discussions would contribute to achieving ceasefire and de-escalation in the Middle East.
He added: “Peace will normally come when reasonable people sit around the table, and we know that many of the Gulf countries have been facilitators in that, and I would hope that we continue to join forces.”
