European Union Arabic Spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa Luis Miguel Bueno stressed that the upcoming visit by Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohammed Albudaiwi to Brussels will tackle several issues, including the Schengen visa.
Days earlier, Albudaiwi had told reporters that his visit will discuss exempting Gulf residents of the visa, saying he was optimistic about the issue.
London had announced that residents of the GCC and Jordan would no longer need to apply for a visa to travel to Britain.
On whether the EU plans on following in Britain’s footsteps, Bueno told Asharq Al-Awsat that the European Commission had suggested in 2022 that Qatar and Kuwaiti nationals be exempt from applying for the Schengen.
He said internal discussions need to take place among EU member states and the European Parliament over this issue.
The European Commission is inclined towards going ahead with the exemptions for Qatar and Kuwait, but the process is “complicated and needs to go through the European Council and European Parliament.”
Bueno said he did not expect quick results from the discussions or that they would come to light after Albudaiwi’s visit.
