The following is the text of the opening remarks delivered by Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, Foreign Minister of the Sultanate of Oman at the start of the 27th Session of the Joint Ministerial Council between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union in Muscat:

“Your Highnesses and Excellencies, Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Good morning.

I am very pleased to welcome you all to Muscat.

It is a real honour to co-chair this joint council and ministerial meeting with our dear friend Dr Borrell.

We look forward to fruitful conversations and to taking some significant steps towards the further development of the relationship between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Before turning to our agenda, I wish to comment on the deeply disturbing developments in Palestine and Israel in the last few days. Even before these latest events, more than 200 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis have lost their lives in violence in the West Bank this year. The worst year for violence since 2005. I am sure I speak for all of us in calling for restraint, in calling for an immediate ceasefire, and a release of prisoners on all sides, and in adhering to international humanitarian laws. But it is the causes of this violence that need to be addressed.

Until the plight and suffering of the Palestinians is properly resolved in line with international law, we will see no lasting peace.

In returning to our agenda, I note the Special Representative of the EU to the GCC has said recently, this meeting is a key milestone in the development of our strategic partnership.

Our economic and political relationship is shaped by our shared values, and I thought it would be appropriate to begin our meeting with a brief reflection on these values, and how I understand them as a framework for dialogue and for action.

I believe that our gathering here in this forum is a prime opportunity to engage in a substantive dialogue aimed at combatting the spread of Islamophobia and xenophobia. We are very concerned that acts of Islamophobic hate will incite violence against Muslims.

I think we can all agree that we believe, collectively, in the capacity of regional organisations to strengthen security and stability, to promote economic activity and to enhance prosperity and the well- being of our citizens.

We also believe that this economic activity, and the deepening of economic relations between us, can be a powerful means for political relations, strengthening peace, and avoiding conflict. In this regard the European Union itself is of course an exemplary historical achievement.

And to build on our partnership I hope we can breathe new life into efforts to develop a free trade environment among us.

We believe that our cultures, in all their diversity and complexity, can be enriched through the day-to-day engagement of our citizens with each other – as business partners, scientific researchers, educators and students, hosts and visitors of all kinds.

We also believe, today perhaps more than ever, in the value of multilateral organisations and the importance of regular and substantive consultation both within and between them. All of this is, of course, underpinned by our joint commitment to a rules-based international order.

We would like our work together to maintain and renew a strong focus on human rights issues. The struggle to secure and improve the rights of our citizens is perpetual. There is no end point, as generation succeeds generation, we perpetually work for higher and better standards. This is what amounts to a truly humanitarian ethos, and it is the cornerstone of the social justice which we all hold dear.

Last year the European Commission and its High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy set out some clear and timely priorities for the renewal and development of the strategic partnership between the EU and the GCC. We welcome this initiative – and with it the appointment of the European Union’s Special Representative, along with the steps already taken to strengthen EU representation in the GCC.

The Commission and the High Representative identified six priority areas for our strategic partnership: prosperity, green transition and energy security, regional stability, human development, people, and institutions.

Since we are all familiar with this document, I see no need to go over in detail what each of these priorities entails.

Instead, I would like, first, to suggest adding to these well-defined priorities, an additional political consideration, which, I suggest, might help us think about how to move forward.

Second, I would like to suggest three very specific areas, within these priorities, on which we might try to achieve some concrete action in the months following this meeting.

Third, and finally, I would like to suggest an additional priority or emphasis, which I think could be of particular value to us all, as we look forward to the future.

So, my first suggestion, is that we should think about our partnership from a global perspective within the framework of multi-polarity. What I mean by this is a recognition that we live in a world with multiple centres of economic and political power, in which nation states and regional groupings can no longer organise their relationships according to familiar patterns of exclusive alliances.

The GCC conducts its external relations on the basis that we are keen to maintain good relations with all potential partners. We see our developing relationship with the EU in this light, and we also see the EU as a vital partner in developing a shared approach to multi- polarity.

As for my second point, I would particularly like to draw attention to – and suggest we move towards concrete action on three specific areas identified within the EU’s agenda for our strategic partnership.

These are, first, that we should move at once to set up an energy and climate change expert group, and that we should establish as a key task for this group the development of a set of recommendations for maximising the effectiveness of investment in the green energy sector.

Second, we should take action to make substantial enhancements to our collaboration on cyber security. Our developing economic partnership will depend on robust digital security. Our counter terrorism efforts will depend upon it too.

Third, and very much in line with the important focus on connections between people and our emphasis on the development of the younger generation, we could take steps now to facilitate further, the movement and exchange of people by including GCC students within the EU’s Erasmus + programme.

In addition to these specific areas within the priorities already defined in the Commission’s vision for the strategic partnership, I would like us to consider adding one further priority area: research and innovation.

Of course this is implicit within areas of the existing priorities, but I think it is of such significance that it merits consideration as a high priority in its own right. I believe this is an area with great potential for mutual benefit as we face together the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence, space exploration and the green transition, to name but three.

I will end my initial remarks here and conclude by wishing you all an excellent continuation of your visit to Muscat and expressing my gratitude to you for all your work, leading up to and during this meeting.”