European Union member states approved the launch of negotiations with six Gulf countries as the bloc seeks to broaden its international partnerships, Bloomberg reported.

European affairs ministers gave the green light to the opening of talks aimed at concluding bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreements with Gulf Cooperation Council countries, during a meeting in Brussels on Friday.

Negotiations are expected to begin as soon as possible and to address a broad spectrum of issues, including security and energy, as the EU is stepping up efforts to diversify relationships.

“Through the Strategic Partnership Agreements, we aim to take our cooperation to the next level,” European Commissioner for Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica told Bloomberg.