The Middle East and the EU: challenges, opportunities and prospects
The EU’s present relations with the leading Arab states of the Middle East are shaped both by general trend towards increasing independence and autonomy of regional players, and by certain failings demonstrated by the European Union itself, which do not contribute to the growth of its authority. The article focuses on the perception of EU policy by regional players using the example of the Persian Gulf monarchies and the Maghreb states. On the one hand, the EU remains the most important political and economic partner for the Middle East states, but on the other hand, its weakness in addressing issues important to the region, as well as excessive ideologization of approaches, are becoming an additional incentive for local states to search for more promising external partners. Deep contradictions within the EU on some foreign policy issues accompanied by internal political polarization are negatively perceived in the Middle East. Authoritarian Middle Eastern leaders view European narratives about the need for democratic reforms and respect for human rights as interference in their internal affairs. Against this background, the retreat from democracy observed in the EU, the rise of populism and xenophobia look like a policy of «double standards». The article examines the political, economic and military-technical ties of the Middle East states with EU countries. The EU–GCC trading partnership is based on the complementarity of economies. The EU needs stable energy supplies, and Middle Eastern countries are interested in European technologies and investments. The issue of illegal immigration plays a negative role in the EU’s relations with the Maghreb states: migrants remaining in the European Union represent a serious problem for EU countries. The EU remains the largest partner for the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, but traditional bilateral ties between European and Arab states remain equally important.
EU, Middle East and North Africa, GCC, security, trade, investments, technologies, migration
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