Addressing the invitation-only audience, President Barroso said: “Kuwait is an important player in a region of crucial strategic importance to the EU. Your role in the Gulf Cooperation Council is a prime example of the leadership you take in this region, and the EU recognizes the value it draws from close cooperation with you.”

Discussing negotiations on the EU-GCC Free Trade Area (FTA), he added: “We are extremely close to the end, and I would like to stress the EU’s full commitment to concluding negotiations at the earliest possible opportunity. Once the FTA is in place it will enable us to sustainably diversify and increase our mutual trade and bring additional security and preferential market access for companies seeking to develop activities in our markets. The result will be more jobs and opportunities for young people in the gulf region and across the EU.”

Jawad Bukhamseen, Chairman and Founder of the Bukhamseen Group of companies, also backed the call.

“Kuwait has developed and expanded tremendously over the last half century and plays a significant role in the economic and social development of the GCC region, and its relations with the European political and trade bloc will be increasingly important to its future ambitions,” he said.

For more information on the 1st Kuwait Global Forum, please go to www.kuwaitglobalforum.com