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

This call comes at a time when the region is witnessing increasing tensions and their repercussions on global security and stability.

Al-Budaiwi's remarks came during his participation in the Regional Security Forum in Brussels, which discussed ways to enhance security and strategic cooperation between the Gulf and the European Union, and efforts to establish the foundations of international peace and security.

The forum was attended, on behalf of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, by his deputy Engineer Walid Al-Khuraiji, in the presence of Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani, Bahrain's Foreign Minister and current president of the GCC Ministerial Council, and Kaja Kallas, the European Union High Representative 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)

During his speech, Al-Budaiwi stressed the utmost importance of holding the forum at a time when Iran continues to choose escalation over diplomacy and dialogue, affirming that the Gulf states support the path of dialogue and diplomacy, and look forward to discussing with the European side how to engage in sincere consultation and close coordination in dealing with Iran's dangerous behavior towards the region.

The Secretary-General indicated that the time has come for the strategic Gulf-European 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 '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 IMF clarified that this reduction is due to the war and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil normally passes, and its effects extended across Europe, which experienced 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 turned into a global shock, with its effects impacting the economies of the Gulf and Europe, stressing that the new threats resulting from the war necessitate a renewed strengthening of the relationship between the two sides, allowing for a joint rather than individual response.

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

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

Al-Budaiwi's remarks reflect the importance of the Gulf-European partnership in facing common challenges, especially amid attacks on oil facilities and the Strait of Hormuz crisis, which have led to a global economic slowdown. The coming period is expected to see further coordination between the two sides to enhance maritime security and freedom of navigation, positively impacting energy market stability.