Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, has concluded a two-day trip to the European Union (EU) in Brussels, aimed at strengthening the UAE’s partnership with the EU, focusing on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and water resilience.
The visit followed the 2026 United Nations Water Conference (UNWC26) Organizational Session in New York, and it coincides with EU Ocean Days in Brussels. During the visit, the Assistant Minister took part in the EU’s consultative process on reviewing the EU’s water resilience strategy.
At the consultative process, Balalaa stressed the launch of the 2026 UNWC process, highlighted the UAE’s priorities for the conference and invited the international community to contribute to the development of pioneering, inclusive and scalable solutions to address water challenges.
Balalaa also emphasized the UAE’s commitment to strengthening its cooperation with the EU in advancing climate action, energy transition, water resilience, and global sustainability.
The Assistant Minister underscored that the discussions were instrumental in driving forward the climate adaptation and energy related commitments made at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which was held in Dubai in 2023, to ensure strong alignment with the EU ahead of the UN Ocean Conference 2025, COP30, and the 2026 UN Water Conference.
The visit included strategic meetings with EU officials and the European Investment Bank (EIB), strengthening bilateral relations and exploring potential investments in clean energy, infrastructure, and water sustainability.
Balalaa met with European Commission representatives: Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy; Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General of Environment; Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General Climate Action; and Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, in addition to representatives from the European External Action Service (EEAS).
The discussions centered on enhancing joint efforts in water sustainability in the lead-up to 2026 UNWC, broader climate adaptation strategies, mitigating climate change, and bolstering cooperation ahead of the UN Ocean Conference 2025 in France.
