Kuwait city: Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in the 29th Joint Ministerial Meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU) held in Kuwait. The meeting aimed to discuss and enhance cooperation between the two regions across various domains.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the meeting was co-chaired by Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait and Chairman of the current session of the Ministerial Council, along with Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC, was also in attendance.
The ministers focused on strengthening GCC-EU cooperation in political, economic, security, cultural, and development areas. They assessed the outcomes of the previous GCC-EU summit held in Brussels and the second high-level forum on security and regional cooperation between the GCC and the EU, which took place in Kuwait on October 5, 2025.
The meeting highlighted joint efforts in sectors such as economics, investment, trade, energy, climate change, communications, humanitarian aid, and security. Progress on the GCC-EU Joint Action Programme (2022-2027) was also reviewed, covering political dialogue, trade, energy, climate change, education, research and innovation, health, development, humanitarian cooperation, and cultural exchanges.
Regional developments were a significant focus, including discussions on the Gaza conflict, international efforts for a two-state solution, the Ukraine war, regional disputes, Iran's nuclear programme, Red Sea navigation security, and other international developments impacting regional and European security and stability.
The meeting concluded with a joint statement acknowledging the progress of the strategic partnership established under the 1988 cooperation agreement. It emphasized the partnership's importance amid ongoing threats to peace and security and expressed anticipation for the next summit in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2026.
The Bahraini delegation included Salah Ali Al Malki, Ambassador of Bahrain to Kuwait; Ambassador Shaikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Khalifa, Director General of Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Nawar Abdulla Al Mutawa, Acting Chief of the GCC Affairs Sector; and other accompanying officials.