The European Union is holding its first summit with Gulf states on October 16, as part of the EU’s diplomatic efforts to strengthen ties with distant allies in a bid to gain international support for isolating Russia, citing Reuters. Since Moscow invaded Ukraine, the 27 EU countries have expanded contacts with other regional blocs, holding their first summit with ASEAN nations and their first summit in eight years with the CELAC community, which unites countries from the Caribbean and Latin America. The goal of the meeting with the six wealthy Arab states in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) …