The European Union’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates has said that ongoing regional conflicts have not slowed efforts to deepen economic cooperation with the Gulf state, but have instead underscored the urgency of concluding a free trade agreement.
Speaking in an interview with The National on the occasion of Europe Day, EU envoy Lucie Berger said negotiations between the two sides are progressing with renewed determination, despite geopolitical tensions.
“We haven’t been derailed by the geopolitical shifts in the region,” she said. “On the contrary, I think we are even more serious, if it was at all possible, about concluding the agreement,” she added.
The European Union and the UAE are currently working toward finalising what would become the bloc’s first free trade agreement with a Gulf nation, following the sixth round of negotiations.
Berger noted that the escalation of conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, along with disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, has had significant economic consequences globally.
“It has had a very serious impact on the European economy and on Gulf economies. I really hope that we continue working together side by side, discussing and co-operating more when it comes to energy,” she said.
She also pointed to heightened instability in the region, where maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz have been affected by hostilities, including vessel seizures and missile exchanges between regional powers.
Key areas of future cooperation between the EU and the UAE include artificial intelligence, renewable energy and cybersecurity, according to the envoy, who also suggested that the current pace of negotiations is unusually fast compared to previous EU trade talks.
“In the past we took 10 to 20 years to negotiate agreements and we would typically have one or two negotiating rounds per year. We are now touching the first year of the negotiations with the UAE and we had six rounds in one year,” she said.
Berger expressed optimism that a strategic partnership agreement could also incorporate defence and security cooperation, especially given current regional instability.
“I feel that the potential is still huge,” she said. “There is still a lot that we can untap.”
Trade between the EU and the UAE currently stands at around €57 billion ($67 billion), making the Emirates the bloc’s largest trading partner and investment destination in the region. Approximately 200,000 European citizens reside in the UAE.
The ambassador also expressed appreciation for the UAE’s support during recent regional tensions, particularly in assisting European nationals during disruptions.
Since the outbreak of conflict, the UAE has reportedly faced hundreds of missile and drone attacks, while maintaining cooperation with international partners, including the EU, on evacuation and crisis response efforts.
Berger highlighted high-level EU visits to the UAE in recent months, including engagements by senior European officials, as a sign of solidarity and coordination during the crisis.
She also referenced the role of the UAE in assisting stranded European tourists and transit passengers during periods of airspace closures and flight disruptions, noting that local authorities extended accommodation support during the emergency.
Tensions in the region escalated further following the launch of a US military initiative known as Project Freedom, aimed at securing commercial shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
In response to rising instability, France deployed its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Red Sea as part of broader de-escalation efforts, while the EU has also considered expanding its naval presence through missions similar to Operation Aspides.
Berger confirmed that discussions are ongoing about a possible EU security presence in the Gulf, while emphasising hopes for diplomatic resolution between Iran and the United States through international mediation.
The EU is also expanding defence cooperation with the UAE, with Abu Dhabi recently hosting the bloc’s first defence technology forum outside Europe, an event Berger described as highly successful.
“There was so much potential and so much energy,” she said, noting growing collaboration in advanced military and security technologies.
She further pointed to emerging trilateral cooperation between the EU, UAE and Ukraine, particularly in countering Iranian drone technology used in regional and European conflicts.
“I think we are now kind of trilateral partners in this. Our defence sector is interlinked,” she said.
