Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi announced on Monday that the region faces unprecedented escalation requiring concerted efforts at regional and international levels to enhance security and stability, and proposed six priorities for developing relations with Europe towards an integrated partnership.

This forum comes within the framework of ongoing efforts to enhance security cooperation between the Gulf states and the European Union amid increasing regional tensions.

This 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 Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan was his deputy, Engineer Walid Al-Khuraiji, in the presence of Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani, Bahraini Foreign Minister and current chairman 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 Walid 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 stressed the importance of holding the forum amid Iran's continued escalation instead of diplomacy, affirming that the Gulf states support dialogue and diplomacy and seek close consultation and coordination with Europe to confront Iran's dangerous behavior.

Al-Budaiwi affirmed that the strategic partnership between the Gulf and Europe needs a new path, building on the foundations laid in 1988, especially in light of recent challenges.

Al-Budaiwi stated that 'Iranian attacks on oil facilities in Gulf states and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have 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 normally passes, and whose effects have extended across Europe, which has experienced an energy shock for the second time in four years.'

The Regional Security Forum discussed enhancing security and strategic cooperation between the 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 re-strengthening the relationship between the two sides, allowing us to respond jointly rather than unilaterally.

The Secretary-General proposed six priorities for enhancing Gulf-European relations: coordinated political and diplomatic action, cooperation in the fields of 'regional security and energy', connectivity through accelerating work on trade corridors and alternative routes, drawing lessons from the current crisis, people-to-people communication with 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 more secure and our economies more resilient and stable.'

The attacks on oil facilities and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have impacted the global economy, with the IMF lowering growth forecasts. Gulf officials stress the need for joint coordination to confront threats, noting that security cooperation with Europe has become more urgent than ever.