European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas has called for deeper cooperation between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stressing that diplomacy, not confrontation, should define relations amid growing regional instability.
Speaking at the High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation in Kuwait City, Kallas thanked EU Special Representative Luigi Di Maio for initiating the forum last year and said that “more history is being produced than we can digest,” underscoring the urgency of joint efforts to address security challenges.
“For every moment of instability, however, there is an opportunity to overcome together,” Kallas said, highlighting three key issues—Iran, maritime security, and Gaza—as areas where the EU and GCC can strengthen collaboration.
On Iran, Kallas confirmed that the European Union will “re-impose all previously lifted UN and EU nuclear-related sanctions without delay,” following the United Nations Security Council’s snapback of sanctions. However, she insisted that this “must not be the end of diplomacy.”
“A sustainable solution to the Iranian nuclear issue can only be achieved through negotiation and diplomacy. Together we can work to make Iran a responsible partner in the region,” she said.
Turning to maritime security, Kallas described the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden as “global flashpoints,” noting recent attacks on commercial vessels that killed crew members and endangered international trade.
“Freedom of navigation is a global public good. We require a global effort to protect it,” she said, citing the EU’s Operation ASPIDES, which has protected over 560 vessels and monitored another 600 since its launch.
She emphasized that any future peace agreement in Yemen must include an understanding on maritime safety. “We should all support the Yemeni Coast Guard more, to build up their capacity to do their job effectively,” she added.
On Gaza, Kallas said the long-standing conflict “has tested international resolve more than any other,” and praised Qatar’s mediation role after it faced direct attacks on its sovereignty.
“Peace in the Middle East requires a major international effort and with support at scale,” she said, welcoming Hamas’s acceptance of a new peace proposal and calling for renewed momentum toward a two-state solution.
“Ultimately, we are all better off in a world where might does not make right; where cooperation is our choice over confrontation; where diplomacy counts,” Kallas concluded.
The forum, hosted by the European External Action Service (EEAS) in partnership with the GCC, brought together senior officials and diplomats to discuss regional stability, maritime safety, and multilateral cooperation.
