The relationship between the Middle East and Europe is being strengthened through discussions on energy security and geopolitics. The Gulf Cooperation Council and the EU are exploring the possibility of a Gulf-European conference on energy security and a GCC-EU trade agreement. The EU is the second-largest trade partner for the GCC countries, with a focus on natural resources. The GCC is a major source of global economic activity, and a trade deal with the EU could provide open access to investment from Gulf sovereign wealth funds. The EU has signed a large number of energy agreements with the GCC, and efforts are being made to revitalize EU-GCC negotiations for a trade agreement.