Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi met with European Union Commissioner for Mediterranean Affairs (North Africa and Middle East) Dubravka Šuica to explore avenues for strengthening bilateral cooperation. The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the Dubrovnik Forum 2025, which opened yesterday and concludes today.

In a statement released Saturday, the GCC General Secretariat noted that the discussions focused on:

• Progress in GCC-EU free trade agreement negotiations

• A proposed joint Gulf-European energy security conference with public/private sector participation

• Latest regional and international developments

Both parties emphasized the importance of continued coordination to support stability and development in the region and globally.