Regional conflict has not derailed EU — UAE negotiations on a free trade agreement, with both sides still seeking to conclude the bloc’s first such deal with a Gulf country by the end of this year, the EU envoy to the UAE Lucie Berger said.
A sixth round of talks has now been completed, the EU Delegation to the United Arab Emirates reported on Tuesday.
Berger told "The National" that negotiations had continued despite “geopolitical shifts in the region”, adding: “On the contrary, I think we are even more serious… about concluding the agreement.”
Trade has been disrupted since the outbreak of the Iran war on 28 February and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with prices rising worldwide, Berger said.
She added the situation had had a “very serious impact” on European and Gulf economies and called for closer co-operation on energy.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway used to ship oil and other goods out of the Gulf, and ships transiting it have been drawn into the conflict, with vessels seized and exchanges of weapons fire reported by the EU Delegation.
Faster pace for negotiations
Berger said the EU and UAE had held six negotiating rounds in a year, compared with what she described as the EU’s previous pattern of taking 10 to 20 years to negotiate trade agreements with one or two rounds per year.
She noted that areas of co-operation discussed alongside trade included artificial intelligence, renewable energy and cybersecurity.
She also said she hoped a wider strategic partnership agreement would include defence and security.
The UAE is the EU’s largest export destination and investment partner in the region, with bilateral trade in goods estimated at €57 billion, the EU Delegation pointed out.
About 200,000 EU citizens live in the UAE, the largest concentration in the Middle East.
Since 28 February, the UAE has defended itself against 551 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles and 2,263 drones launched by Iran, according to figures cited by Berger.
She said EU leaders including European Council president Antonio Costa and EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas visited to show support.
Ms Berger added that UAE authorities helped Europeans travel home during flight disruptions, after airspace closures and cancellations left tourists and transit passengers stranded.
Accommodation for some visitors was extended and covered by authorities during the height of the crisis, the EU Delegation said.
