First European Parliament delegation tours Kingdom

A six-member delegation from the European Parliament visited Saudi Arabia between Nov. 25 and 29. It was the first time a European parliamentary group visited the Kingdom, although a delegation visited Qatar and Kuwait last year and Oman in February.Over the four days, the six European parliamentarians held meetings with government ministers and members of Shoura Council as well as with academics, prominent Saudi women and a number of European businessmen based in the Kingdom. The visit was part of a European Parliament program to strengthen relations with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).“The European Parliament pointed out very clearly the urgent need for the Arab World, the Arabian Peninsula and particularly Saudi Arabia to be taken into a strategic focus at a political and economic level,” said the delegation leader Holger Krahmer.In particular, he added, “we should seek a more intensive relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council and its member states in order to maintain our position as the leading trading partner of the region.” According to Krahmer, if Europe is to compete with Asian countries and increase its markets, it had to stop wasting time on its own national efforts on trade relations. He said the EU should develop a strategic partnership with the GCC countries. He called for the negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two blocs, currently at a standstill, to be reactivated.Krahmer also stressed the importance of strengthening cultural and political understanding between Europe and the GCC states and of devoting more resources to the Gulf region, in particular programs relating to higher education, scientific research and environmental protection.During the visit, Krahmer and the other members of the delegation — András Gyürk from Hungary, Paul Rübig (Austria), Jutta Steinruck (Germany), Jacek Wlosowicz (Poland) and Slavi Binev (Bulgaria) — held an inter-parliamentary meeting in Riyadh with the Shoura Council. They met Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi, Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Zainal Alireza, and Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Prince Turki bin Muhammea. They also met with GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani  In Jeddah, they visited the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry where they were welcomed by Lama Sulaiman. They also visited the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) headquarters.Discussions during the trip focused on a number of issues, including economic bilateral cooperation, the Middle East peace process, the situation in Yemen, the Iranian nuclear issue, visa issues between Schengen countries and Saudi Arabia, human rights and dialogue between cultures and religions.The delegation highlighted the importance of recent announcements by Custodian of the Holy Mosques King Abdullah on women's empowerment. "Their appointment as members of the Shoura Council from 2013 and their participation in the municipal elections in 2015 is sign of cultural opening and will allow Saudi society to benefit from the huge potential (of its women)," said Krahmer. The delegation also visited King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).