Riyadh, February 08, 2023, SPA -- Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, met today with Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Patrick Simonnet. At the outset of the meeting, Ambassador Simonnet underlined the growing interest of the EU to collaborate with the GCC through the strategic partnership announced at the joint GCC-European Ministerial Council meeting, which took place in Brussels in February 2022. For his part, the GCC Secretary General affirmed the GCC's keenness to strengthen the partnership with the EU via the continuous implementation of the programmes and initiatives agreed upon within the framework of the joint work programme for the period 2022-2027, including political dialogue and security coordination, economic, cultural and educational collaboration, as well as environmental protection to address climate change, in addition to cooperation in the field of energy, and focus on what concerns the citizen and enhances mutual understanding between the two sides. The meeting was attended by GCC Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs and Negotiations, Dr. Abdulaziz Hamad Aluwaisheg. --SPA 20:56 LOCAL TIME 17:56 GMT 0031 www.spa.gov.sa/w1851773