BRUSSELS — European Union High Representative Josep Borrell on Friday said that the Gulf countries are undergoing significant transformation, which for the 27 member bloc is a chance to develop new forms of cooperation.
Borrell, who began a visit to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia Thursday published a lengthy personal bloc, titled the EU's stakes and options in a changing Gulf region, explaining the objectives of his first visit as the EU foreign policy chief to the Gulf region.
“It is a dynamic region in the middle of a significant transformation. This gives us a chance to develop new forms of cooperation," he stressed.
Also, Gulf countries are undergoing momentous domestic reforms. They all have visions of diversified, greener economies becoming less dependent on hydrocarbons, and more digitalized governments and societies," he stated.
Borrell explained that at stake are of course contracts and investment opportunities both in the Gulf countries for European companies, and in Europe for the Gulf sovereign wealth funds, who already own an impressive share of the EU economy."
“Throughout my mandate, I have begun to discuss these transformations of the Gulf region and the broader Middle East with my interlocutors. The transformations are important for Europe, also because they affect the positioning and involvement of Gulf States in conflicts closer to home, such as Libya and Syria," he said.
The second objective of the visit, he noted, is to see how we can build a stronger partnership with the Gulf States by boosting cooperation in the sectors of energy, climate change, security and humanitarian aid.
"Although the Gulf States remain dependent on oil and gas exports, they have understood that they will also need to transition to renewable energy production eventually. They have sun, wind and water in abundance, and the funding required," said Borrell.
"This renewable energy will need a market and it is clear already that the EU will need to import large quantities of electricity and in due course also green hydrogen, especially if one looks at current electricity price increases," he said.
Climate change in the Gulf is a reality with frequent temperatures over 50 degrees, accompanied by a depletion of fresh water resources.
There is every reason to encourage cooperation in research and practical mitigation and adaptation measures to tackle related problems, explained the EU's top diplomat
In addition, cooperation in the field of civil protection will be useful for both sides, as the number of disasters is likely to increase, he said.
Borrell said there are a number of areas of soft security" that are worth exploring, which could promote de escalation and confidence building across the Gulf region.
A first such area is maritime safety, i.e. measures to facilitate safe passage of commercial vessels. The EU could offer more technical support to organize and manage the busy shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. Similarly, the EU could offer help with nuclear safety, he suggested.
The EU is world leader in international humanitarian and development assistance, and in promoting respect for human rights Gulf States are increasingly interested in taking on global responsibilities and are ready to engage with us," he said.
"The EU now has human rights dialogues with all Gulf States and we launched such a dialogue with Saudi Arabia this week. This is an area where there is much to gain for both sides from closer cooperation.”
The EU foreign policy chief argued that the history of European integration is an interesting example of how economic cooperation can build trust and gradually lead to closer political integration.
“These are some of the potential areas for cooperation and EU engagement, which form the backdrop for my trip to the Gulf," he said.
Borrell added, that in the coming days, he will discuss with his interlocutors to see how we can build a common agenda, in particular also with view to the crisis in Afghanistan. — KUNA
