DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE, on Wednesday arrived in the Belgian capital, Brussels to participate in the first GCC-European Union Summit.
Leading a UAE delegation, His Highness was welcomed upon his arrival by His Excellency Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), along with several senior officials.
The UAE’s participation in the summit reflects the strong and growing ties with the European Union (EU) and aims to foster cooperation at both the bilateral and regional levels in areas of mutual interest. It also seeks to accelerate progress on priority issues, tackle common challenges, and explore new avenues to strengthen the Gulf-European partnership.
The UAE delegation accompanying H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to the summit includes Her Excellency Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation; His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade; His Excellency Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State; Her Excellency Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs; and His Excellency Mohamed Al Sahlawi, UAE Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
The GCC-European Union Summit, the first to be held at the level of leaders, marks a significant milestone in enhancing cooperation between GCC and EU countries across various sectors, particularly in economy, investment, trade, sustainability, technology, artificial intelligence, and scientific research. The event reflects the positive and ongoing progress in the relationship between the two sides within the framework of the Gulf-European strategic partnership.