BRUSSELS:European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini yesterday lauded Kuwaitas a 'voice of wisdom' and a 'force for peace' in these difficult times for theregion. "And this is what has made us natural partners. This new EuropeanDelegation is first and foremost a sign of how close the European Union andKuwait have become. By opening our new delegation, we want to strengthen ourrelation with Kuwait even further, as part of our engagement in thisregion," she said in an interview ahead of her visit to Kuwait to open anEU embassy there.
"You havetaken up the role of the mediator and the peace builder, and this required alot of courage. We appreciate the constructive role Kuwait is playing withinthe Gulf Cooperation Council through its continuous mediation at the highestlevel. Your country has worked and is working to end the war in Yemen, and youhave demonstrated your commitment to multilateralism as non-permanent member ofthe UN Security Council for 2018-2019," she said.
The EU's foreignpolicy chief noted that on each one of these challenges - from the war in Yemento tensions in the Gulf - the European Union and Kuwait have been working sideby side. "Together we co-chaired the conference for the reconstruction ofIraq, we contributed to saving UNRWA in its funding crisis, and we have beenamong the strongest supporters of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, or ofchildren in Yemen," she said.
Thehighly-respectable EU High Representative recalled that three years ago wesigned a cooperation arrangement between our foreign services. "And now,by establishing a full diplomatic presence in Kuwait City, we are opening a newchapter in our partnership. The aim is to further strengthen our politicaldialogue as well as our economic cooperation, in particular in support ofKuwait's 'Vision 2035,'" she stressed.
"Ourcooperation already focuses on energy, trade and investment, security andcounterterrorism, and we are working on extending our dialogue to other fields,in particular education, research and innovation. The new delegation will alsoaim to build bridges between the Kuwaiti society and European citizens,"she stated.
EU's thirddelegation
Mogherini pointedout that this is the EU's third delegation in the GCC countries, followingthose in Saudi Arabia and in the United Arab Emirates. "So this is also amessage to the whole region: the European Union cares about the Middle East andthe Gulf. We care about peace, security and human development in this part ofthe world, because we are neighbors. It is essential to invest in our ties, andto explore every opportunity for cooperation when our interests and valuesconverge," she stressed.
Referring torelations between the EU and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), shesaid the partnership between the two blocs is one of the oldest in the region,and cooperation has continued whenever possible, in spite of all the tensionswithin the Council. "We believe that regional cooperation is crucial toprevent new escalations and to address controversies in a peaceful way. We havelearnt it through decades of European cooperation, which ended centuries ofwars on our continent," she said.
"Thepolarization generated by divisions within the GCC affects negatively thesituation in the region and beyond. This is why we continue to supportnegotiated solutions in the Gulf. As soon as Kuwait started its mediation, wethrew all our political support behind your work to create a breathing spacefor regional détente," said the EU High Representative. "I was inKuwait already in the summer of 2017, to meet His Highness the Amir and discusshow we could be of help.
And we willcontinue to support your role as a mediator and a voice of wisdom in theregion," she said. Commenting on EU-Arab ties, she said "Europeansand Arabs are more than just neighbors. We share so much history and culture.The Mediterranean Sea has always connected our people more than it divided us.We share the same space: whatever happens in the Arab world has an impact onEurope, and vice versa."
"TheEuropean Union is among the top investors in the Arab world, and we are themain trade partner. Our young people share many of the same aspirations - tobetter opportunities, to better jobs, to finding their place in our societies.I have always believed that Euro-Arab cooperation holds the key to addressthese common challenges.
Together we canbetter address the crises in our region. Together we can create theopportunities for human growth that our people are asking for," saidMogherini. "Our region stands at a crossroads - between more conflict, andthe possibility of reconciliation. If you think of Syria, Yemen, Israel andPalestine, Libya - all crises that could evolve either way, depending on ourindividual and collective response," she said.
More cooperativedynamics
"As I seeglimmers of hope, power confrontation in the Middle East and North Africa couldbring new violence and new suffering to our region. Rising tensions in the Gulfcould trigger a new arms race. Confrontation among regional powers isspreading: I think for instance of the Horn of Africa. It is urgent to investall our energies in preventing new escalations, and in planting the seeds for amore cooperative regional dynamics," said Mogherini.
"And fordoing so, Europe needs to engage further with the Arab world. This is what wehave tried to do in these years. No one has invested as much as we did toaddress our region's humanitarian emergencies, from Syria to Yemen. We havesupported UN-led peace talks all across the region," she said.
Mogherini notedthat the EU has accompanied Tunisia on its transition to democracy, hostedthree Syria Conferences, created the Quartet for Libya, and we have beenunwavering in supporting a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel."This year we held the first-ever summit between the EU and the League ofArab States.
The Arab regionwas the only one with which the European Union never had a summit before - andthis was a huge paradox. We have a duty to cooperate, to address the crises ofour times and to fulfill our citizens' aspirations. To me, this should be thenatural trajectory of our partnership. And I am glad that we have found inKuwait such a close partner and friend," added Mogherini. - KUNA