INITIATIVE 'Bridging EU with GCC

Casey Venslauskas - Founder, Architect, and Project Management Director of the INITIATIVE ‘Bridging EU (C/N Europe) with GCC’ Project

Jolanta Venslauskas - Architect and Project Management Director of the INITIATIVE ‘Bridging EU (C/N Europe) with GCC Project

Overview:

The EU's expansion and increasing global integration demand that we tackle daily challenges. Successfully aligning new EU Member States with EU-15 socio-economic standards is a multifaceted task involving time, resources, knowledge, policies, and initiatives.

The EU's strength lies in collective contributions toward shared objectives. Over the past two decades, we've actively studied global markets, considering the needs of the Visegrad Group (VG4) and the Baltic States. New EU Member States have substantial work ahead, including forging new external relations.Our focus extends to connecting the EU (Central and Northern Europe) with the GCC in culture, tourism, economy, cooperation, research, and development. There's a mutual need to bridge the GCC with the EU (VG4, Baltic countries). Our initiative has garnered positive responses from both Arab and European communities.

We've crafted a unique strategy for EU-GCC cooperation (VG4, Baltics) and eagerly anticipate its successful implementation.

Roadmap:

A trans-regional economic and trade initiative focused on enhancing and broadening relations between the EU (Central/North Europe) and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), featuring the involvement of a consortium of 13 countries.

Agenda:

We have outlined a focused strategy for implementing sectors and activities, emphasizing the following:

Advanced Engineering
Automotive
Building Industry & Construction
Consumer Goods Energy & Infrastructure
Environment & Sustainable Development
Financial Services: Banking-Foreign Exchange-Investment-Insurance
Food, Beverages – Agriculture & Processing
Furniture, Household & Office Equipment
ICT-Electronics
Infrastructure Industries & Urban Development
Life Sciences, Biotechnologies & Healthcare
Petrochemicals & Chemicals
Real Estate Investment & Services
Science-Education-Research & Development
Tourism, Transport & Logistics

Contract-agents (Trade Missions & Events):

Euromoney
Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal

Coordination Sessions:

Coordination Sessions were conducted at prominent venues in London, UK, with embassy representatives nominated by the EU and GCC Governments.

EU (VG$, Baltics) Business Mission to the GCC states.
GCC Trade Mission to the EU (Central-North Europe).
2010 EU (C/N Europe) – GCC Economic & Investment Forum. Abu Dhabi, UAE
Expo: EU & GCC. Presenting New Opportunities. Abu Dhabi, National Exhibition Center
Establishment GCC – Central/North Europe Chamber of Commerce

"Your idea of linking business communities from both regions is very relevant. It should help create concrete opportunities for EU actors, and create strong business ties that will take the relationship between the two regions forward."

European Commissioner for the External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy,

- Ms Benita Ferrero-Waldner -

"I am convinced that an initiative of bringing together representatives of countries of Central and Eastern Europe along with the Gulf countries should be referred to by interested parties as a potentially helpful idea"

The Chancellery of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland,

- Mr Donald Tusk -

"I wish to congratulate you on your initiative leading to the events that your Council is planning for the following two years. Activity of this nature can only contribute to bridging the existing gaps between European Nations and the European Parliament cannot but commend any efforts going in that direction"

Office of the President of the European Parliament,

- Mr Hans Gert Poettering -

"I hope your initiative will contribute to the development of cooperation between the Central European and the Baltic Countries, and the GCC Countries as there is unused potential in our cultural and business relations. Your ideas to organise an Economic & Investment Forum and Business Missions from our region to the GCC region and vice versa are highly welcomed ..."

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia,

- Ms Manika Head of Directorate -

"Thank you very much for your letter dated December 11th, 2008. I find your initiative to bring together the GCC Countries with the Central European and Baltic States very interesting and important. Contacts between the two regions have been so far very scarce and hectic , and the need for invigoration of those contacts is obvious. The areas for the closer co-operation between the two regions you mention – tourism, economy, R&D, science & development cooperation are exactly the ones were we should start (...) I am looking forward to hear more about the initiative and the progress achieved. You can count on my support to this very important project."

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia,

- Mr Urmas Paet -

INITIATIVE 'Bridging EU (Central/North Europe) with GCC'

PROJECT: Mega Project. EU-GCC, with 13 participating countries

ECONOMIC WORTH: €20 billion value of bilateral business agreements