Union for the Mediterranean
(Map from Treehill via Wikipedia)
Blue: Members of the European Union
Brown: Other members (primarily from the African Union & Arab League)
Red: Libya is currently only an observer member in the Union for the Mediterranean

COGwriter

The European Union continues to look to accelerate trade deals since the re-election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States:

EU courts Gulf countries for free trade deal as Brussels seeks to counter tariffs
7 February 2026
The EU’s special envoy to the Gulf told Euronews it’s high time to get a deal done as Brussels looks to bolster business ties with wealthy Arab nations. Free trade talks have stalled for two decades over political disagreements and conditions for market access.
European officials have called for the negotiation of a free-trade agreement between the European Union and the Gulf nations to be fast-tracked, as the bloc looks to diversify trade ties worldwide to counter the impact of US tariffs and an inundation of Chinese exports.
Speaking at a panel discussion moderated by Euronews at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Latvia’s Prime Minister Evika Silina said the EU should reach out to new partners in a pragmatic fashion.
“This is a good, historical time for Europe to strengthen new partnerships,” she said on Thursday.
“Pragmatic, new partnerships for a market of 500 million people – who wouldn’t want to make a deal with us?” …
Since US President Donald Trump imposed an aggressive tariff policy on allies and foes alike last year, the EU has sought to cushion the blow by opening up new markets and diversifying its exports network across the world.
The EU recently signed two major trade deals with Latin American countries and India after the pressure of US tariffs finally ended years of impasse.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised to unlock more deals for European companies faced with US tariffs, competition from China and higher energy costs.
With the Mercosur deal, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, the EU hopes to gain market access to sell European cars and strengthen economic ties in a continent rich in raw materials, while the India agreement – which the Commission described as the “mother of all deals” – promises access to 1.3 billion consumers, with tariffs slashed on 96.6% of EU exports.
The Gulf’s principal attraction for the EU is in its energy sector. Most EU member states have cut their use of Russian gas and oil following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as well as severing Russian access to strategic routes.
Negotiating past political disagreements
The negotiations are being handled under the framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which includes the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.
The EU and the GCC signed a cooperation agreement in 1988, but have since struggled to strike a full trade agreement. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/02/07/eu-courts-gulf-countries-for-free-trade-deal-as-brussels-seeks-to-counter-tariffs
Merz looks to Gulf ties to curb Germany’s reliance on the US
BERLIN — Friedrich Merz embarks on his first trip to the Persian Gulf region as chancellor on Wednesday in search of new energy and business deals he sees as critical to reducing Germany’s dependence on the U.S. and China.
The three-day trip with stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates illustrates Merz’s approach to what he calls a dangerous new epoch of “great power politics” — one in which the U.S. under President Donald Trump is no longer a reliable partner. European countries must urgently embrace their own brand of hard power by forging new global trade alliances, including in the Middle East, or risk becoming subject to the coercion of greater powers, Merz argues. 02/03/26 https://www.politico.eu/article/friedrich-merz-looks-to-gulf-ties-to-curb-germany-reliance-on-the-us/

So, we see that the Chancellor of Germany, Frederick Merz, went to the Middle East to work on a deal. And we also see that Latvia’s Prime Minister Evika Silina went to the Middle East to push trade ties with the European Union. Plus we see that the EU is working on pushing many trade deals.

As regular readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page should be aware I have been warning, since the morning after he was re-elected, that Donald Trump’s statements and policies would get those in the European Union to accelerate trade deals (see also our free eBook: Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency). This has happened and is continuing to happen.

There is a relatively little-known, multi-national organization called the Union for the Mediterranean. It consists of most the European nations as well as all of the nations in the Middle East and North Africa that border the Mediterranean Sea.

Consider, now, the following in view of the map showing the Union for the Mediterranean at the beginning of this post:

*Roman Empire 117 A.D. (Tataryn via Wikipedia)*

Most of the above lands north of the Mediterranean Sea are, were, or want to be part of the European Union. And while the UK left, consider that ancient Britain was conquered to be in the old Roman Empire–the UK will be conquered by the coming European Beast power (cf. Daniel 8:24-25, 11:39). The final King of the North will be a European power, and the coming King of the South a power comprised of nations in northern Africa and the Middle East. Furthermore, according to Daniel 11:40-43, many of the lands shown, that are to the south and east of the Mediterranean Sea, will be conquered by the coming European King of the North Beast power.

Yet, before that happens, there will be deals between the coming King of the North and King of the South.

Daniel wrote:

25 He [the king of the North] shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South. .. 27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time (Daniel 11:25,27).

Notice that these two kings make a deal together, but both sides are lying to each other. Thus, whatever agreement they make is not destined to be permanent.

Psalm 83 tells of a time when a confederation will form in the lands of northern Africa and the Middle East, but then will temporarily align with a coming European power.

The following is in my free eBook Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century:

Another possibly related set of passages related to a temporal Muslim-European alliance is found in the 83rd Psalm. Here is part of it, starting with verse 3, with some modern national identities from former Radio and Worldwide Church of God writers inserted using “{ }”[i]:
3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. 4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel {includes Jews as well as the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, meaning the British-descended peoples and the USA} may be remembered no more.”
5 For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: 6 The tents of Edom {Turks and possibly Afghanis} and the Ishmaelites {Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Libya}; Moab {part of Jordan} and the Hagrites {Syria}; 7 Gebal {Lebanon}, Ammon {Jordan, and perhaps the UAE}, and Amalek {part of the Turks}; Philistia {Palestinian Arabs} with the inhabitants of Tyre {Lebanon; perhaps also in part of Southern Italy}; 8 Assyria {migrated to Germanic Europe} also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot {Jordan and western Iraq}. (Psalm 83:3-8)
Nations like Tunisia and Algeria would also be expected to be involved, as well as those associated with the end time European Beast power.
The old Radio Church of God and Worldwide Church of God published the following related to that 83rd Psalm:
Notice an amazing prophecy about the Middle East in Psalm 83:1-8. It is a time of war. “Hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, Thine enemies … have taken crafty counsel against Thy people.” They have dealt treacherously with Judah and Israel — with the Jews and with America and Britain … Israel {Genesis 48:14-16}. The Jews are merely the tribe of Judah. …
So Germany … is ultimately going to support an Arab union against the Jews and against Israel — Britain and America! This is what prophecy foretells.[ii]
Here we see that the Arab nations mentioned are allied with Germany (Assur) which we know from other prophecies will be the military leader — naturally so — of a United States of Europe … This European power — called the “king of the North” in Daniel 11 [iii]
(Psalm 83) provides additional insight into the coming Mideast picture. Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations — a vast confederacy bound together in an effort to crush out the name “Israel” from the face of the earth! This Arab-Moslem confederacy may very well be the previously mentioned “king of the south” of Daniel 11 — a sphere of power encompassing vast portions of the Islamic world. …
But in the end, this European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived. … the “king of the north” of Daniel 11 — the leader of the German-led European union — will ultimately turn against the Arab “king of the south,” with disastrous consequences for the entire Middle East [iv]
Psalm 83 is talking about an alliance of predominantly Muslim peoples aligning with a European power to go against, according to the old Radio Church of God, the Jews of Israel, the British-descended nations, and the USA. Prophetic Assyria is connected to an end time power in Germany and Europe (cf. Isaiah 10:5-11).
[i] Boraker R. SYRIA RAIDS ISRAEL – Where Is It Leading? Plain Truth. November 1966, p. 27; Hoeh H. GERMANY in Prophecy! – Part 2. Plain Truth, January 1963, pp. 28; Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy, p. 13; McNair R. Solving the Arab-Israeli Impasse! CG21, 2005
[ii] Hoeh, pp. 28-29
[iii] Boraker, p. 27
[iv] Stump, p. 13

Psalm 83:4-8 is suggesting that the descendants of Israel (which not only include the modern state of Israel, but also much of the English-speaking world, cf. Genesis 48:13-16–see a discussion of this in Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel) will be bothered by a confederation of basically Arabic/Islamic peoples from the Middle East (not Ethiopians), who will also somewhat align with a European power (see Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History and Germany in Biblical and Greo-Roman Catholic Prophecy).

In 1966 and 1979, the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God taught that the King of the South would arise and make a deal with the King of the North as shown in Psalm 83:

But who is the “king of the south”?…in verse 40 we skip to “the time of the end”…The verse undoubtedly found partial fulfillment in the offensive of 1896…But Mussolini did not finish the prophecy…Just as there is yet to be a final “king of the north”…there may very well emerge in the same manner a final “king of the south”–an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation, possibly bearing the very title Mahdi…a prophetic psalm (Psalm 83) provides additional insight into the Mideast picture. Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations…But in the end, this European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived…And the king of the north shall come against him [the king of the south]…Daniel 11:40-41…The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the fact of invasion. (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth, December 1979, pp. 11-12).
They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom [Esau or modern-day Turkey, a non-Arab but Islamic nation] and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; of Moab [part of Jordan] and the Hagarenes [anciently these people dwelt in the land known as Syria today]; Gebal [Lebanon], and Ammon [modern Jordan], and Amalek [part of the Turks]; the Philistines [the modern Palestinian Arabs] with the inhabitants of Tyre [Lebanon]; Assur [whose descendants, the Assyrians, migrated to Germany] also is joined with them: (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth, December 1979).
Turn to the astounding prophecy found in Psalm 83:1-8 … the coming time when ALL of Israel’s enemies would join together in an effort to crush out even the name “Israel” from the face of the earth! (Verse 4) “For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee…” (verse 5). Notice the nations making up this confederation. “Edom [Turkey], and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; Moab [Jordan], and the Hagarenes [they anciently dwelt in the land known as Syria today]; Gebal {Lebanon}, and Ammon [Jordan] and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur [whose descendants migrated to Germany] is joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot” {Moab and Ammon in modern Jordan). Here we see that the Arab nations mentioned are allied with Germany (Assur) which we know from other prophecies will be the military leader — naturally so — of a United States of Europe…Egypt…will provoke the prophesied United Europe (Dan. 11:40). This European power — called the “king of the north” in Daniel 11 — shall invade and occupy the “glorious land” of Palestine (verse 41). “And the land of Egypt shall not escape”(Boraker R. SYRIA RAIDS ISRAEL – Where Is It Leading? Plain Truth. November 1966)

The above quotes show that the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), under the late Herbert Armstrong’s leadership, taught that there would be a future fulfillment of Daniel 11:40 involving an end-time King of the South and North and that WCG believed it would involve some type of Arab-Islamic confederation and deals.

While what the Europeans are currently doing is not the deal of Daniel 11:27 or Psalm 83:4-8, the fact that the EU and the Gulf States are pushing for closer ties appears to be a prelude to those biblical prophecies being fulfilled.

As Jesus said: