Historic UAE-EU agreement aims to deepen bilateral cooperation

Senior officials from the United Arab Emirates and the European Union formally launched negotiations on a Strategic Partnership Agreement today, marking what both sides described as a major step forward in bilateral cooperation.

Opening the event at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters, Afra Al Hameli, Director of Strategic Communications, welcomed diplomats and media representatives, calling the moment “a defining milestone in the UAE–EU relationship.”

“The agreement will deepen strategic alignment, strengthen collaboration across priority sectors, and set an ambitious roadmap for the years ahead,” she said, emphasising the shared determination of both sides “to move forward with purpose, clarity, and momentum.”

Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State, held a joint press conference today in Abu Dhabi with Dubravka Šuica, EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean. During the conference, Commissioner Šuica emphasised that the United Arab Emirates is a strategic partner of the European Union, noting that the two sides have enjoyed decades of sustained cooperation. This strategic cooperation, she added, is a fundamental pillar of our joint efforts to enhance stability, prosperity, and development across communities.

Opening the conference, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh highlighted the significance of today’s announcement regarding the launch of negotiations on a Strategic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and the European Union. She stated:

“It is my pleasure to take this important step towards deepening the strategic partnership between the UAE and the EU, which reflects our shared belief that cooperation between us is essential to achieving stability, prosperity, and expanded opportunities in our region and globally.”

She added that the UAE remains committed to elevating bilateral relations to a more ambitious level, noting that the significant untapped potential in relations between the EU and the GCC has long been evident. She welcomed the steps taken in Brussels to begin bilateral negotiations with GCC states aimed at concluding comprehensive strategic partnership agreements.

Nusseibeh explained that the ongoing in-depth discussions — particularly regarding the Free Trade Agreement — are progressing rapidly, supported by a solid foundation of shared economic interests. She noted that the positive outcomes will be reflected in the lives of people in both regions by strengthening trade ties, expanding investment opportunities, and deepening cooperation between the business communities on both sides.

She further emphasised that the comprehensive strategic partnerships the UAE has concluded globally have demonstrated the transformative impact such agreements can have on shared economies. She noted that the EU is the UAE’s top investment partner and its second-largest trading partner worldwide, and expressed the UAE’s aspiration to build a comprehensive economic partnership with the EU on firm foundations.

Nusseibeh stated that the Strategic Partnership Agreement currently under negotiation will provide a structured framework for cooperation in vital and high-priority fields such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy.

She stressed that the partnership extends beyond economic impact, embodying a shared responsibility to contribute to global stability and humanitarian relief. She highlighted the UAE’s pledge of $550 million in support of the UN’s 2025 Global Humanitarian Appeal as a testament to the UAE’s commitment to ensuring that international cooperation delivers not only prosperity but also dignity and hope to the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Nusseibeh added that the task now is to translate this growing alliance with the EU into tangible outcomes—moving from strategic intent to practical implementation, and ensuring that the partnership delivers measurable benefits to the people, private sectors, and the broader international community.

She reaffirmed that the UAE stands fully ready to work closely with the EU, guided by principles of mutual respect, shared interests, and long-term vision, to advance the future of multiculturalism, diversity, and constructive engagement on the global stage.

For her part, Dubravka Šuica emphasised that today marks an important step in the trajectory of relations between the EU and the UAE with the announcement of negotiations on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement.

She stated that the announcement builds on decades of cooperation and on the ambitious agenda adopted in 2024, which continues to move forward under the EU’s 2032 Strategy. Through these negotiations, she said, “we aim to jointly define and implement a modern and ambitious agenda, and reinforce the strategic importance of the EU-UAE relationship.”

Šuica noted that progress will also continue on the Free Trade Agreement negotiations launched in May this year. She emphasized that the UAE is a strategic partner of the EU and plays a leading role as a key partner in trade and investment, serving as a pivotal hub linking Europe with the Middle East and Asia.

She added that the Free Trade Agreement aims to establish a comprehensive framework for deepening critical cooperation across a wide range of fields, including scientific research and innovation, energy, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, humanitarian action, and education. The FTA will also open new horizons for large-scale collaboration across the Middle East and North Africa, helping address shared challenges and seize strategic opportunities.

Šuica affirmed that Europe’s role in shaping this strategic cooperation is essential to reinforcing stability and prosperity, noting that the UAE is viewed as a strategic partner in this endeavor. She described the Strategic Partnership Agreement announced today as a key instrument within the framework of joint relations.

In response to questions from media representatives regarding the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, the Free Trade Agreement negotiations, and the situation in Sudan, Lana Nusseibeh stated that the UAE is conducting highly productive discussions on trade. She noted that the UAE is doubling its efforts in this field and has a strong track record of bold and rapid progress in trade negotiations, having concluded 31 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements in just three years.

Regarding Sudan, Nusseibeh said that the UAE is engaged in regular consultations on the ongoing devastating conflict. She welcomed the European Parliament’s decision to support mediation efforts in Sudan, as well as the outcomes of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, which underscored the priority of mediation efforts aimed at securing an immediate humanitarian truce, followed by a permanent ceasefire, and ultimately a transition to an independent civilian government.

She stressed that this is the core foundation of the mediation efforts fully supported by the UAE, noting that regular meetings continue with European counterparts regarding the conditions for de-escalation.

Nusseibeh pointed out that the September statement by the Quad Group represents a historic step toward halting the fighting and ending the civil war between the conflicting parties. It lays out a realistic roadmap for de-escalation and affirms that Sudan must not have a future shaped by extremist groups or become a fragile state that serves as a safe haven for terrorists. She underscored that an independent civilian government is the only path toward a stable and secure Sudan.