European Parliament President Roberta Metsola met Speakers from Gulf Cooperation Council states in Brussels on Friday, agreeing to strengthen strategic ties and deepen parliamentary cooperation.
The meeting on 16 October brought together Speakers from legislative bodies across Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar, along with GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the European Parliament announced on Friday.
Metsola opened the conference by expressing “solidarity and condemnation of the horrific and criminal attacks” on Riyadh airport.
Talks covered freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, energy security, open trade, connectivity and “people to people contacts”, as well as the wider implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
First EU Parliament-hosted EU — GCC Speakers’ conference
The conference was held for the first time at the European Parliament in Brussels, with opening addresses also delivered by Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam, Speaker of Bahrain’s Council of Representatives, acting on behalf of the GCC presidency, and Albudaiwi, the Parliament said.
The meeting ended with both sides adopting a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to stronger strategic ties and deeper parliamentary cooperation.
The GCC is a regional organisation founded in 1981 and made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
