Jassim Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, stressed on Monday that the unprecedented regional escalation necessitates concerted regional and international efforts to enhance security and stability, proposing six priorities for developing relations with Europe towards genuine integration.

The forum in Brussels comes as part of efforts to strengthen the strategic partnership between the GCC states and the European Union amid regional crises.

That came during his participation in the 'Regional Security Forum' in the Belgian capital Brussels, which discussed enhancing security and strategic cooperation between the Gulf states and the European Union, and efforts to establish the foundations of international peace and security.

Participating in the forum, on behalf of Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, was his deputy, Engineer Waleed Al-Khuraiji, in the presence of Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani, Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affairs - Chairman of the current session of the GCC Ministerial Council - and Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.

Engineer Waleed Al-Khuraiji shaking hands with Kaja Kallas during his attendance at the Regional Security Forum in Brussels (Saudi Foreign Ministry)

In his speech, Al-Budaiwi emphasized the importance of the forum as Iran continues its escalation instead of diplomacy, noting that the Gulf states support dialogue and look forward to European coordination to confront dangerous Iranian behavior.

The Secretary-General of the Council pointed out that the time has come for the Gulf-European strategic partnership to take a new path, based on the foundation laid in 1988, especially in light of the challenges of recent months.

Al-Budaiwi stated that 'the Iranian attacks on oil facilities in Gulf states and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz led to a global slowdown, as the International Monetary Fund lowered its global growth forecast for 2026 to 3.1 percent.'

The Secretary-General added that 'the Fund clarified that this reduction is due to the war and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil usually passes, and whose effects extended across Europe, which suffered an energy shock for the second time in four years.'

The Regional Security Forum discussed enhancing security and strategic cooperation between Gulf states and the European Union (Saudi Foreign Ministry)

Al-Budaiwi explained that this regional shock has turned into a global shock, affecting the economies of the Gulf and Europe, stressing that the new threats generated by the war necessitate strengthening the relationship between the two sides, allowing us to respond jointly rather than individually.

The Secretary-General proposed six priorities to enhance Gulf-European relations: coordinated political and diplomatic action; cooperation in the fields of regional security and energy; interconnection by accelerating work on trade corridors and alternative routes; drawing lessons from the current crisis; people-to-people communication while accelerating visa-free travel as a practical basis for communication.

Al-Budaiwi concluded his speech by noting that the partnership with Europe must extend beyond security to genuine integration, 'a partnership that makes our peoples safer and our economies more resilient and stable.'

These priorities come at a sensitive time, as Iranian actions have led to a global economic slowdown, necessitating broader cooperation between the two sides. Iran's nuclear file and its regional behavior remain among the most prominent challenges facing the region, making Gulf-European coordination more urgent. The coming period is expected to see further consultations to translate these priorities into joint action plans.