Brussels: Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi participated in the third GCC-EU Regional Security Forum today in the Belgian capital, Brussels. The forum saw the presence of Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain and Chairman of the Current Session of the Ministerial Council, as well as Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. According to Saudi Press Agency, Albudaiwi emphasized the significance of holding the forum amidst an unprecedented escalation in the region. He noted Iran's preference for escalation over diplomacy and dialogue, which poses a challenge to regional stability. Albudaiwi underscored the GCC's commitment to dialogue and expressed hopes for meaningful consultation with the EU to address Iran's actions. Albudaiwi highlighted the necessity for the GCC-EU strategic partnership to evolve, especi ally given recent challenges. He cited Iranian attacks on GCC oil facilities and the Strait of Hormuz's closure as factors leading to a global economic slowdown. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has adjusted its global growth forecast for 2026 to 3.1%, attributing the change to disruptions affecting oil passage through the Strait of Hormuz, impacting economies as far as Europe with an energy shock. The forum acknowledged that the regional conflict has escalated into a global issue, affecting both GCC and European economies. Albudaiwi stressed the importance of strengthening GCC-EU relations to enable a joint response to these threats rather than isolated efforts. In his address, Albudaiwi proposed six priorities to enhance Gulf-European relations: coordinated political and diplomatic action, regional security cooperation, accelerated work on trade corridors and alternative routes, energy collaboration, learning from the current crisis, and fostering people-to-people communication through visa-free mobi lity. Concluding his remarks, Albudaiwi highlighted the need for the partnership with Europe to transcend security concerns, advocating for a comprehensive integration that enhances security, economic resilience, and shared stability for the peoples of both regions.