KUWAIT: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the European Union member states will hold in Brussels on Wednesday the first summit at the level of heads of states and governments since the launch of official relations between the two sides in 1989. In remarks to KUNA Monday, Kuwait Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya said that the representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, will head the State of Kuwait’s delegation during this summit.

Minister Al-Yahya stressed that this summit represents an important historical milestone in the path of the strategic partnership between the GCC countries and the European Union and reflects the commitment of both sides to strengthening relations in light of the increasing regional and international challenges.

The ministry stressed that Kuwait will work to enhance its role as an international partner in promoting sustainable development, noting that “the Representative of His Highness the Amir will deliver a speech in which he will emphasize the importance of concerted international efforts to enhance the security and stability of the region.”

The Representative of His Highness the Amir will shed light on Kuwait’s vision towards the horizon of expanding areas of cooperation between the GCC and the European Union. His Highness will hold a number of bilateral meetings with the heads of the participating delegations to discuss a number of issues of common interest, the minister added. Further, the minister said that the summit will address political, security and economic issues, and will focus in particular on discussing strengthening security and stability frameworks in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, especially in light of the increasing geopolitical tensions.

The ministry also noted that the summit will touch on energy and renewable energy in a way that contributes to developing cooperation to achieve energy security. Minister Al-Yahya pointed out that the summit will include extensive discussions on pressing environmental issues, especially climate change, in addition to how to enhance cooperation in the field of technology and innovation, including supporting the digital economy and adopting modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and renewable energy, which are priority areas for achieving sustainable development.

Al-Yahya said that the summit is a culmination of decades of continuous cooperation between the GCC and the EU, noting that the volume of trade exchange between the both sides reached $204.3 billion. — KUNA