Members of the EU’s Political and Security Committee (PSC), including the PSC Chair, Ambassador Delphine Pronk, as well as Ambassadors of EU Member States, paid an official visit to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on 25 November 2024. The delegation was accompanied by the EEAS Managing Director for MENA, Ms Hélène Le Gal, and EU Special Representative for the Gulf, Mr Luigi Di Maio.

The EU and the GCC held a political dialogue session, co-chaired by H. E. Delphine Pronk, PSC Chair and H. E. Jasem Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC. The two parties exchanged on matters of mutual interest and the need to increase joint efforts to tackle global challenges. This included the situation in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon, Gulf security and Iran, maritime security in the Red Sea region, Iraq, Sudan and the Horn of Africa as well as the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The PSC members and GCC interlocutors also agreed on strengthening the EU-GCC regional security cooperation. The political dialogue constituted an important step forward following the successful first-ever EU-GCC Summit in Brussels on 16 October 2024.