DOHA: European Council President Antonio Costa on Wednesday reaffirmed the European Union\u2019s strong commitment to Gulf security and stability during a press conference held in Doha at the conclusion of his official visit to Qatar.<\/p>\n
Organised by the Delegation of the European Union to Qatar, the press conference provided key insights into the outcomes of Costa\u2019s high-level meetings with Qatari leadership, as well as his broader engagement with regional stakeholders at a time described as \u201ccritical\u201d for peace and security in the region.<\/p>\n
Addressing the media, Costa condemned recent attacks targeting the airspace and territorial integrity of countries in the region, describing them as clear violations of international law. He stressed that the European Union stands \u201cin full solidarity\u201d with the countries and people of the Gulf.<\/p>\n
He also expressed appreciation for the proactive measures taken by Gulf nations to safeguard European citizens residing in the region, highlighting the importance of continued cooperation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Gulf countries can count on the European Union, now and in the future,\u201d Costa said, reiterating that the EU remains a reliable and predictable partner.<\/p>\n
Costa outlined two primary objectives guiding his visit: advancing efforts toward a stable and lasting ceasefire, and restoring freedom of navigation in critical maritime routes.<\/p>\n
He underscored the urgency of ensuring safe passage through key waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, noting their significance for global trade and supply chains.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe disruption of these vital arteries has already had serious global consequences, and the situation will worsen without an urgent solution,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n
Costa added that the European Union is actively supporting international initiatives alongside partners such as France and the United Kingdom to establish a broad coalition aimed at guaranteeing safe and uninterrupted maritime movement.<\/p>\n
Reaffirming the EU\u2019s consistent position, Costa called for immediate de-escalation and a return to negotiations in full respect of international law. He urged all parties to utilise the momentum created by recent diplomatic efforts to address pressing concerns related to Iran, including its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, as well as its support for proxy groups.<\/p>\n
He stressed that achieving a lasting ceasefire is essential to creating the space needed for meaningful negotiations on these issues.<\/p>\n
Turning to Lebanon, Costa described Hezbollah as a destabilising force and an existential threat to the country\u2019s stability. He welcomed recent decisions by Lebanese authorities aimed at curbing militant activities and reaffirmed the European Union\u2019s continued support for strengthening state institutions.<\/p>\n
He also welcomed ongoing negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, describing them as a \u201cpositive step\u201d toward ensuring sovereignty, territorial integrity, and long-term peace.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the importance of deeper engagement, Costa said his discussions with regional leaders underscored a shared desire to strengthen cooperation between the European Union and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.<\/p>\n
He revealed that preparations are underway for a second EU-GCC summit, expected to be held in the Gulf later this year, with the aim of delivering concrete outcomes across key areas of mutual interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than ever, it is essential that we work together\u2014both collectively and bilaterally\u2014to address common challenges,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
Costa praised Qatar\u2019s ongoing diplomatic efforts in facilitating dialogue and mediation, particularly in efforts aimed at securing ceasefires and fostering regional stability. He expressed confidence that Qatar would continue to play a constructive role in advancing peace initiatives.<\/p>\n
In his concluding remarks, Costa emphasised the importance of preserving a rules-based international order, warning that its erosion could lead to instability and conflict.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are living in challenging times. The alternative to a rules-based system is chaos,\u201d he said, calling on the international community to work collectively to uphold global norms and ensure peace.<\/p>\n
Reaffirming the European Union\u2019s commitment, he concluded, \u201cWe are here to support the stability and security of the region and to build a deeper, stronger partnership with the Gulf countries.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"DOHA: European Council President Antonio Costa on Wednesday reaffirmed the European Union\u2019s strong commitment to Gulf security and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28379,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[19265,428,17976,2313,18542,19266,18143,4940,7106,19267,5796,5668],"class_list":{"0":"post-28378","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-antonio-costa","8":"tag-affirms","9":"tag-antonio-costa","10":"tag-calls","11":"tag-ceasefire","12":"tag-costa","13":"tag-eus","14":"tag-firm","15":"tag-for","16":"tag-gulf","17":"tag-lasting","18":"tag-support","19":"tag-to"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@people\/116410028555733199","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}