His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), met with Her Excellency Ms Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, today, Thursday, April 16, 2026, in the Belgian capital, Brussels.
At the beginning of the meeting, His Excellency expressed his appreciation to the European Union (EU) and its institutions for their efforts and positions condemning the Iranian aggressions against the GCC states, as well as the official statements issued in this regard.
For her part, the President of the European Commission underlined the EU's support for the GCC's positions regarding these attacks.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed the implications of the dangerous escalation in the region. Both parties emphasised the significance of de-escalation and reaching a permanent solution through diplomacy and dialogue. His Excellency Mr Albudaiwi stressed the necessity of involving the GCC states in any negotiation path, as they are a primary party directly affected by these developments.
The meeting also featured a review of several key topics, most notably the follow-up on the outcomes of the first summit of the GCC leaders and the heads of state and government of the EU member states, which was held in October 2024 in Brussels under the theme "Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity."
Furthermore, they explored ways to enhance the prospects of GCC-European relations to achieve mutual goals and interests and monitored the latest developments regarding the Joint Work Programme (2022–2027).