EU intends to hold a summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council in April 2026, as suggested by President Christodoulides of Cyprus
EU-GCC Summit to be Held in Cyprus in April 2026
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has announced plans for an expanded EU-GCC summit to take place on April 23, 2026. The summit aims to foster dialogue, cooperation, and strategic partnerships between Europe and the Middle East. The event will be hosted by Cyprus, which is set to assume the presidency of the European Union early next year.
During Ambassador Al-Kharafi's farewell meetings, Anita Demetriou, President of the Cypriot House of Representatives, expressed deep appreciation for the ambassador's efforts in enhancing political and parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. Demetriou lauded the positive and visible impact of the ambassador's work and reaffirmed Cyprus's commitment to further strengthening partnership with Kuwait.
President Christodoulides highlighted the "distinguished" bilateral relations between Cyprus and Kuwait and praised Cyprus's unique role as a bridge between the EU and the Middle East. He also congratulated Ambassador Al-Kharafi on his contributions to strengthening diplomatic ties between the two countries. In response, Ambassador Al-Kharafi welcomed the president's summit proposal and praised the constructive partnership he enjoyed with Cypriot officials in boosting bilateral relations.
The expanded EU-GCC summit will build on the first-ever EU-GCC summit held in October 2024, aiming to deepen strategic cooperation over a broad range of sectors including trade, security, climate, digital transformation, and cultural exchanges. This comes amid ongoing EU negotiations with individual GCC members on bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreements covering these sectors, as well as Free Trade Agreement talks.
The meeting will involve leaders from the European Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and regional countries. High-level international political figures will also be invited to participate in the summit. The growing momentum in Cyprus-Kuwait relations, according to Demetriou, should continue and expand across political, economic, cultural, and legislative sectors. The strong foundation for partnership between Cyprus and Kuwait, laid in recent years, will be further reinforced at the upcoming summit.
President Christodoulides expressed his hope to visit Kuwait before the end of the year. Ambassador Al-Kharafi congratulated Cyprus on its upcoming EU presidency and reaffirmed Kuwait's commitment to further strengthening its partnership with Cyprus. The summit proposal, according to Ambassador Al-Kharafi, is a gateway to new horizons for joint cooperation between the EU, GCC, and neighboring nations.
In summary, the April 2026 EU-GCC summit will be an expanded, strategic forum hosted by Cyprus to reinforce comprehensive cooperation frameworks, build on existing bilateral negotiations, and strengthen EU-GCC relations in political, economic, and social fields. The event will mark a significant step forward in fostering closer ties between Europe and the Middle East.
- The upcoming EU-GCC Summit, scheduled for April 2026, is not only a platform for political dialogues but also an opportunity to discuss general news topics, such as trade, security, climate, digital transformation, and cultural exchanges.
- As relations between Cyprus and Kuwait continue to grow and expand across various sectors, the forthcoming EU-GCC Summit will serve as a gateway for high-level international political figures to strengthen their partnerships and forge new alliances, thus contributing significantly to the general news landscape of Europe and the Middle East.
