His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), received Her Excellency Ms Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Vice President of the European Commission, on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh.
During the meeting, regional and international developments were discussed, as well as the repercussions of the treacherous Iranian attacks on GCC countries and the threat they pose to the security and stability of the region, the safety of international navigation and global energy supplies.
HE the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy also expressed the Union’s supportive stance towards the GCC countries and its clear condemnation of these aggressive acts, affirming its support for the GCC countries in confronting these attacks and its commitment to strengthening joint coordination to maintain regional and international security and stability.
For his part, HE the Secretary General commended the supportive European positions previously expressed during the GCC–EU extraordinary ministerial meeting, appreciating the EU’s solidarity with the GCC countries and stressing the importance of continuing effective international coordination to address the escalating challenges in the region.
The meeting also addressed several topics, most notably reviewing GCC–EU relations and discussing ways to develop and enhance them in a manner that serves mutual interests, following up on the latest developments of the outcomes of the first summit of Their Majesties and Highnesses the leaders of the GCC countries and the heads of state and government of the EU member states, in addition to discussing the priorities of the Joint Action Programme for the period (2022–2027), and a number of proposals that will contribute to strengthening GCC–EU.
