Saudi crown prince in Brussels for first EU-Gulf summit

Gulf leaders including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gathered with EU heads of state and government in Brussels Wednesday for a summit aimed at averting a "general conflagration" in the Middle East.

The 27-nation European Union is seeking to work more closely with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) -- which brings together Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- in addressing conflicts in both the Middle East and Ukraine.

Confirmed at the last minute, the presence of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler among the six Gulf leaders in attendance heightened expectations.

The first-ever gathering of its kind, the EU-GCC summit comes on the eve of an EU leaders' meeting in the Belgian capital.

Heads of state and government began arriving in the early afternoon, following a Tuesday night dinner for foreign ministers.

Trade, energy and climate change will all be on the table at the Brussels talks -- but EU officials stressed the "main topic" would be Israel's conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

"We are partners with aligned interests," Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told journalists on arrival at the talks, adding he hoped the discussions would help bring about a ceasefire and de-escalation in the Middle East.

"Peace will normally come when reasonable people sit around the table, and we know that many of the Gulf countries have been facilitators in that, and I would hope that we continue to join forces."

According to one EU official, "the Saudis appear to be reengaging on the issue of Lebanon -- which is absolutely vital to resolving the situation."

- 'Same concerns' -

The EU is the second-largest trading partner for GCC countries but talks on a trade pact have languished for years.

Differences also remain over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and in particular the implementation of Western sanctions and the EU's push to punish Iran for bolstering Moscow's war effort.

"We see much more eye-to-eye on the Middle East," a senior EU official said.

"One of the objectives is to avoid a general conflagration" in the region, added another official. "Both sides are worried about this."

The Brussels summit comes just over a year into the war between Israel and Iran-allied Palestinian militant group Hamas that has in recent weeks expanded to include Lebanon -- raising fears of a major regional conflict.

"We are ready to act more and more together in facing common challenges," EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said of EU and GCC countries ahead of the talks.

The EU has called for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.

Traditionally Western allies, the resource-rich Gulf monarchies have grown closer to Iran, which backs Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

They have repeatedly called for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, with some playing a key role in efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.

Hezbollah had been exchanging cross-border fire with Israel for almost a year, saying it is acting in response to Israel's devastating ground and air assault on Gaza.

The war in Gaza began after the armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack from the territory into Israel on October 7, 2023.

The near-daily exchange of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people on both sides even before last month's escalation -- with at least 690,000 people now displaced.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is also taking part in the EU-GCC meeting, chaired jointly by European Council president Charles Michel and Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who currently holds the rotating GCC presidency.

Human Rights Watch meanwhile called for EU leaders to press their Gulf counterparts for reforms -- including on the jailing of political prisoners, freedom of expression, labour and women's rights.

"EU leaders should make it clear that the release of critics and progress on human rights are vital for bilateral relations," said Claudio Francavilla, associate EU director at Human Rights Watch.

The published agenda for the talks makes no mention of human rights.