European External Action Service Spokesman Peter Stano has reiterated that the aim of presenting the working paper on cooperation with the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the Arab States aims to establish a strategic partnership between the EU and the GCC. Stano, during the European Commission's daily press briefing, stated that this cooperation comes among other factors given the current geopolitical developments, adding that the European Union is stronger with its partners. He added, "Together with our partners, we represent 20% of the global economy, and half of the foreign direct investments," noting that there the two parties have other areas of common interest such as climate, green transformation, and energy. GCC Secretary-General, Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf, had welcomed the European High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell's announcement of the adoption of the joint working paper of the European Parliament and the European Commission, on the "strategic partnership with the Gulf states" to expand and deepen the European Union's cooperation with the GCC.
