Brussels : Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the current session of the GCC Ministerial Council, chaired the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) delegation at the Third GCC–EU High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation.
The forum brought together representatives of the GCC member states, EU foreign ministers and their representatives.
Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission chaired the European side. The forum was also attended by Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC, and Luigi Di Maio, EU Special Representative for the Gulf.
Dr. Al Zayani expressed, on behalf of the GCC and the Kingdom of Bahrain, his deepest condolences on the passing of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir of the State of Qatar.
Addressing regional developments, he highlighted the continued Iranian attacks against GCC member states and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, noting European condemnation of those attacks and reaffirming that deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are unjustifiable. He also welcomed the International Maritime Organisation Council’s condemnation of attempts to impose control over the Strait of Hormuz.
The Minister further noted the GCC’s support for the US-Iran memorandum of understanding brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, while stressing that Iran’s subsequent actions, including attacks on regional states and international shipping, breached the MoU and violated international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2817. He reaffirmed the GCC’s unity and the right of its member states to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Speaking on behalf of Bahrain, Dr. Al Zayani reiterated the Kingdom’s position before the UN Security Council that the recent Iranian attacks deliberately targeted civilians. He also reaffirmed Bahrain’s commitment to working with the European Union to uphold international law, ensure Iran’s compliance with its international obligations, and safeguard freedom of navigation in international waterways.
He concluded by noting that GCC–EU relations are built on the 1988 Cooperation Agreement and nearly four decades of partnership.
The High Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation serves as a platform for discussing regional security, maritime navigation, the implementation of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, the Iranian nuclear programme, and broader political and security challenges facing the Gulf region.
The forum was attended by Dr. Mohammed Ali Behzad, Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and Head of Mission to the European Union.
