NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi called for closer coordination with Europe to protect food, energy and commodity supply chains. He spoke in New York on September 24 during the second ministerial meeting of the Rome Coalition for fertiliser access and food security. Albudaiwi said maritime disruptions and higher transport costs were affecting global trade. He also said those pressures were contributing to higher commodity and food prices across regions, including Europe and the Gulf.
Italy and Croatia hosted the ministerial gathering on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. Croatia currently holds the MED9 presidency. The meeting included representatives from MED9 countries, the Arab League, the Western Balkans, Ukraine and European institutions. Gulf and United Nations officials also took part. Discussions focused on food security, fertiliser access and the movement of essential goods through major trade corridors. Participants reviewed pressure around the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea.
Albudaiwi said Gulf states were strengthening supply chain resilience through ports, pipelines, railways, roads and strategic storage. He also called for greater cooperation to reduce risks affecting maritime transport and shipping insurance. Food, fertiliser and fuel shipments should receive priority during periods of disruption, he said. He added that Gulf states remained committed to supporting reliable exports within prevailing security conditions. The comments placed transport links, storage capacity and trade continuity at the center of the region’s food and energy security agenda.
Food and fertiliser routes remain central to talks
The Rome Coalition meeting also addressed ways to keep international trade open and predictable during periods of transport disruption. Participants supported wider use of alternative routes and stronger regional storage networks. They also discussed investment in ports and land transport links. Cooperation between producer, transit and importing countries featured prominently in the talks. Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu joined the meeting, which also examined the role of international institutions in supporting food security and access to fertilisers.
Albudaiwi also urged progress in economic cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union. He highlighted trade, regulation, electricity links, clean hydrogen and investment as areas for further work. The European Commission is conducting a sustainability impact assessment tied to possible trade agreements with Gulf countries. That consultation opened in June and continues until October 19. The EU has also opened separate free trade negotiations with the United Arab Emirates as part of its broader commercial engagement with the Gulf region.
Gulf-EU summit puts trade links in focus
The second summit between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union is scheduled for October 24 in Saudi Arabia. The meeting follows continued talks on trade, energy, investment and regulatory cooperation. European institutions have been reviewing options for future commercial agreements with Gulf countries. Those options include regional arrangements and bilateral agreements. Albudaiwi said the summit should support structured dialogue on measures affecting commerce, connectivity and supply flows between the two regions, while maintaining focus on practical economic cooperation.
The New York meeting followed the first Rome Coalition gathering in Rome on May 7, 2026. Italy and Croatia said the latest session centered on protecting food and fertiliser supply chains from pressure on major maritime routes. Participants also stressed the importance of transport resilience, storage capacity and dependable trade flows. The discussions brought together governments, regional organizations and international institutions around a shared set of supply concerns. The meeting kept food security, fertiliser availability and reliable access to essential goods at the core of the agenda.