What's happened
On October 16, 2024, the EU hosted a summit with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The meeting aimed to strengthen economic ties but faced criticism over human rights issues, particularly regarding Khashoggi's murder. Disagreements on Ukraine and Middle Eastern conflicts were also anticipated.
Why it matters
What the papers say
The Independent highlights the summit's focus on economic ties and human rights discussions, noting Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo's comments on the need for stronger relations. The Guardian emphasizes the backlash against bin Salman's attendance, citing human rights activists who argue it legitimizes his regime. Politico points out the summit's significance in the context of rising tensions in the Middle East and the EU's strategic interests, framing it as a pivotal moment for EU-GCC relations.
How we got here
The summit marks a significant diplomatic shift, as it is the first formal meeting between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council. This follows years of strained relations due to human rights violations linked to Saudi Arabia, particularly the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
More on these topics
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Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, colloquially known as MBS, is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. He is currently serving as the country's deputy prime minister and is also Chairman of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs, Chairman of
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The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.
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Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron is a French politician who has been President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra since 14 May 2017.
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Charles Michel is a Belgian politician serving as President of the European Council since 2019, and previously served as Prime Minister of Belgium between 2014 and 2019.
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The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, originally known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf except Iraq, namely: Bahrain, Kuwait,
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi was a Saudi Arabian dissident, author, columnist for The Washington Post, and a general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News Channel who was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October 2018 by agents of the Sa