The leaders of the European Union and six Gulf nations are meeting in an inaugural summit today against a backdrop of turmoil in the Middle East and struggles to find a unified position on the war in Ukraine.
The summit is expected to last just a few hours and encompass everything from visas and trade to the situation in the Middle East, and is unlikely to yield more than general commitments to improve cooperation.
“Our message is clear: we are ready to act more and more together in facing common challenges,” says EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell on the eve of the meeting.
The 27-nation EU has long had relations with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait.
The nations of the European Union already find it challenging to find full alignment on Israel’s wars against Hamas and Hezbollah, and it will be difficult to find a strong common statement with GCC leaders, say officials familiar with the meeting.
Watch Docu Nation Season 2: Resilience
when you join the ToI Community
Support The Times of Israel's independent journalism and receive access to our documentary series, Docu Nation: Resilience, premiering December 12.
In this season of Docu Nation, you can stream eight outstanding Israeli documentaries with English subtitles and then join a live online discussion with the filmmakers. The selected films show how resilience, hope, and growth can emerge from crisis.
When you watch Docu Nation, you’re also supporting Israeli creators at a time when it’s increasingly difficult for them to share their work globally.
To learn more about Docu Nation: Resilience, click here.
Support ToI and get Docu Nation
Support ToI and get Docu Nation
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel eleven years ago - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
