Falcon powers – Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held discussions with a European delegation on Monday to explore ways to de-escalate tensions in the region and address the situation in the Gaza Strip. The meeting took place in Luxembourg amidst the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza since October 7th and the escalating activities of the Houthis in the Red Sea, along with the direct confrontations between Tehran and Tel Aviv for the first time.
According to official Gulf sources, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement that “Qatar participated in the high-level forum between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union on regional security, which was held on Monday in Luxembourg.” The Qatari delegation was led by Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The forum discussed “developments in the region, ways to de-escalate and calm the situation, particularly ending the war in the Gaza Strip, the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, maritime security, and freedom of navigation,” according to the same statement.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced the participation of Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in the forum. The meeting addressed “enhancing security and strategic cooperation, developments in the Gaza Strip and its surroundings, and the importance of achieving an immediate ceasefire and delivering more assistance,” according to the source.
The Gulf Cooperation Council’s statement confirmed the participation of Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi and the foreign ministers of its member states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. From the Gulf side, the meeting was chaired by Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, while the European side was represented by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
Al-Budaiwi emphasized in his speech that “the meeting comes amid very serious conditions and consequences (…) with Israel’s continued inhumane military operations in Gaza (…) and its military operations in some neighboring Arab countries,” according to the statement. He also referred to “the ongoing escalation in the Red Sea region and the mutual military operations between Israel and Iran.”
