Doha: A new paper published jointly by Brookings Doha Center and Fride (Fundacion para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Dialogo Exterior) explores the evolving ties between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and European Union (EU) in the backdrop of radical changes in the region.
The publication titled Toward a Strategic Partnership: The EU and the GCC in a Revolutionary Middle East draws on a roundtable discussion held at the Brookings Doha Center with the support of the European Commission. The paper assesses the status of the EU-GCC relationship and probes avenues for more effective cooperation in addressing the realities of a post-Arab Spring Middle East.
Despite an alignment of interests on several fronts — from Syria to Yemen — the looming question of internal reform within the Gulf itself presents a growing challenge for EU-GCC ties.
This comes alongside a range of other dilemmas, from disagreements within each bloc to the historic strength of bilateral over multilateral relations. The full paper can be accessed at www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2013/01/24-eu-gcc-relations.
QNA
