(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The European Union (EU) has been a key partner for the Gulf cooperation Council (GCC) since the six-member bloc was established in 1981, according to GCC Secretary General Abdullatif Al-Zayani.
Al-Zayani told the 24th GCC-EU ministerial meeting that started in Doha on Sunday that the prime aim of the gathering is to work on enhancing security and stability in the region. The GCC will also benefit from the European experience of regional integration.
He referred to the GCC-EU Cooperation Agreement signed in1988 as crucial for bolstering bilateral cooperation. Since then, scores of joint specialized meetings have been held, including the ministerial gatherings, whose 23rd session was held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2013.
The GCC-EU activities included the third round of a civil aviation dialogue held in the Qatari capital only last week, as both agreed on the necessity of reactivating the role of joint teams on air transport, navigation and safety.
The fourth round is to be held by the end of the year to carry on with the dialogue for a comprehensive agreement in the field.
According to Al-Zayani, the EU is the GCC's top trade partner; bilateral trade hit USD 184 billion in 2014, compared to USD 125 billion in 2010. Imports from the European 28-member bloc constitute round to 68 percent of the figure.
The GCC chief expressed hope for further cooperation with the EU in all fields. He stressed the need for concluding an overall vision for cooperation priorities over the coming period amid the political, security and economic changes in the region, especially the emergence of terrorist groups and e-piracy.
In addition, Al-Zayani called for consolidating scientific and academic cooperation.
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