Abu Dhabi: Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), participated in a meeting with parliamentary leaders from GCC countries and Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. The meeting, chaired by Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC) of the United Arab Emirates, was held in Abu Dhabi. According to Bahrain News Agency, Albudaiwi highlighted the meeting as a new chapter in GCC-European parliamentary relations. He stressed the need for a stable mechanism to ensure regular and continuous engagements between the two parties. Albudaiwi expressed his gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for his support of joint Gulf initiatives and for hosting the significant meeting. He emphasized the importance of the meeting's timing, noting the progress and convergence of views in Gulf-European relations on several issues. He appreciated the ongoing dialogues and visits between senior officials from both r egions, underscoring a commitment to advancing relations to a strategic partnership, as echoed in last year's summit in Brussels. Albudaiwi also mentioned preparations for upcoming joint events, including the Gulf-European Ministerial Council meeting in Kuwait, the first Gulf-European Conference on Energy in Brussels, and the second GCC-EU Summit in Saudi Arabia in 2026. The Secretary General underscored that the Schengen visa exemption remains a top priority for the GCC, with technical files ready for European review. He noted that Roberta Metsola is working towards the final approval of this matter, which could enhance ties and benefit the tourism and travel sectors for both regions. Albudaiwi reiterated the GCC's stance on supporting the Palestinian people, emphasizing the importance of granting their rights, including the establishment of a Palestinian state and the two-state solution, in accordance with relevant resolutions. He proposed an annual meeting between GCC parliamentary leaders and the Europ ean Parliament President, suggesting this would further develop Gulf-European relations and strengthen parliamentary ties.
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