The European Union opened a new mission in Kuwait City Sunday as foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the bloc was increasing its engagement in the region.
"This also sends a message to the whole region; the European Union is increasing its presence and engagement in the Middle East," she said at the opening ceremony.
"What happens to the Gulf matters to Europe and what happens to Europe matters to the Gulf," she added.
The office in Kuwait's tallest skyscraper is the third such EU mission in the Gulf, after Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.
The ceremony in the Al Hamra Tower, which is also home to the French embassy, was attended by Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah.
The opening, decided several months ago, comes amid a tense standoff between the United States and Iran which has affected the Gulf.
"In a moment of regional and global tensions, Kuwait is a voice of wisdom and force of peace and this is what made us natural partners," Mogherini said.
Mogherini was in Baghdad Saturday where she said she supported Iraq's policy of pursuing good relations with all its neighbors and warned against "dangerous adventures" in the region.
During her first visit to Baghdad since 2014, she met with President Barham Salih, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim.
