EU and United Arab Emirates launch Strategic Partnership Agreement negotiations
Today, the Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica and Lana Nusseibeh, State Minister for Political Affairs, and Envoy of the Foreign Minister to the EU of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) met in Abu Dhabi, to officially launch negotiations for an EU-UAE Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA).
This decision further strengthens the robust partnership between the EU and UAE building on the 2022 EU Joint Communication, on a strategic partnership with Gulf, and the joint agenda launched by Gulf and European leaders at the 2024 EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Brussels.
It reaffirms their shared goal of fostering stability and security in the region, and will allow them to explore, through the SPA negotiations, new opportunities to further strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation in priority areas of mutual interest.
High Representative and Vice-President, Kaja Kallas, said: “Strengthening ties between the EU and the Gulf is in our interest. Launching negotiations on a new Strategic Partnership Agreement will help build a stronger and more resilient relationship. Together, we aim to promote peace and regional stability, from humanitarian aid for Gaza to addressing the conflict in Sudan.”
Commissioner Šuica said: “The bilateral relationship between the EU and the UAE is today stronger than ever. I am pleased to announce here in Abu Dhabi the launch of negotiations on an EU–UAE Strategic Partnership Agreement. We want to step up our cooperation on priorities of shared importance for both the EU and the UAE – including digitalisation, artificial intelligence and connectivity, research and innovation, energy, environmental protection, the green transition, and people-to-people contacts.”