Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 December 2024.

Ambassador Neil Holland thanks Denmark for their professional and principled chairing of the Forum for Security Cooperation, despite Russia’s repeated distractions and breaches of its OSCE commitments.

Thank you to you Mr Chair and to the Acting State Secretary from Denmark for your remarks. Mr Chair, dear Christian, I want to also thank you and your team for your professional, polite and principled stewardship of this Forum over the past Trimester.

We fully support your efforts to keep the FSC focused on Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale and illegal invasion of Ukraine. The invasion is in its third year and continues to violate the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act’s core principles, including those on sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-use of force. Principles which Ukraine is fighting for, and which my Prime Minister has promised the UK will ‘support for as long as it takes’. Under your stewardship, we have shown that these principles and this Forum continue to matter and that we will keep on defending both.

Mr Chair, all of your Security Dialogues rightly focused on different aspect of Russia’s war, notably on the Code of Conduct and the Helsinki Decalogue. We discussed the pattern of Russia contravening OSCE principles across the OSCE region. As we have documented since February 2022, Russia’s war in Ukraine is contravening the whole Decalogue and the Code. Russia stationing its forces in Georgia and Moldova, without their consent, also contravenes the Decalogue and Code.

Mr Chair, perhaps that is why Russia continues to do everything it can to avoid this Forum from meeting to discuss these violations. For a third Trimester in a row, Russia has attempted to prevent the FSC Chair from hosting Security Dialogues. For a second Trimester in a row, Russia has attempted to prevent the FSC Chair from holding sessions with only mandated agenda items. For a second year in a row, and despite repeated requests from Chairs and other States, the Russian delegation has studiously avoided articulating any issues with the mandated Agenda, let alone offering alternatives.

The Rules of Procedure remain clear. Under these, the Chair is mandated to ‘ensure the good order and smooth running of meetings’. It is the Chair’s prerogative to set the agenda. And it is the Chair’s prerogative to select and invite guest speakers. No other State may dictate to the Chair – let alone issue ultimatums. Mr Chair, thank you for standing up for the mandate in a polite and principled manner. You ensured that the FSC has met weekly to discuss its mandated agenda items.

As I said last Trimester, there remains another path. If Russia’s professed wish for peace is genuine, Russia must end this war by withdrawing all of its forces to outside of Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders. And from Georgia and Moldova. If Russia is serious about dialogue and risk reduction, it must stop trying to undermine our Ministerial mandate of this Forum meeting each week.

I wish to conclude by thanking Croatia as it leaves the FSC Troika, and to welcome Estonia. The incoming Chair, Spain, can count on the UK’s full and continued support next Trimester – including in its prerogative as FSC Chair. Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 December 2024.

David Smith MP has today been appointed as the new UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). He will take up the appointment in the New Year.

As Envoy, David will champion FoRB for all overseas, promoting tolerance and mutual respect through and alongside the UK’s global diplomatic network and engagements in multilateral fora. David will represent the UK in international discussions on FoRB, working closely with other special envoys, experts and civil society partners. This work supports the UK’s wider human rights efforts, underpinning our belief that human rights are universal.

David’s appointment underlines the UK’s ongoing commitment to freedom of religion or belief for all.

Minister for Human Rights, Lord Collins of Highbury said:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. There is, however, still much to be done to ensure this right is upheld around the world.

David’s appointment is a clear signal of the value placed by the UK on championing freedom of religion or belief for all around the world. No one should live in fear because of what they do, or do not, believe in.

David brings a wealth of relevant experience to the role from his work in the charity sector and faith based organisations. He has spent much of his career working in the UK and overseas to promote fairness, egalitarianism, compassion and the empowerment of the vulnerable.

David Smith MP said:

I am delighted to be appointed as the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief.

From sub-Saharan Africa to the Middle East and Asia,  I have personally worked with those of different faiths who face religious persecution, and so these are issues that I care passionately about.

I look forward to taking forward the Government’s commitment to supporting freedom of religion or belief for all.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 November 2024.

E3 foreign ministers renew calls for the urgent extension of reciprocal banking arrangements by at least 12 months to prevent economic collapse in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Foreign ministers’ statement:

The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany are deeply concerned that Israel has yet to provide assurances it will extend the indemnifications for essential correspondent banking relationships between Israeli and Palestinian banks for a minimum period of at least 12 months.

On October 31, the Israeli government renewed its indemnifications of Israeli banks for 30 days, the shortest extension to date. This disappointing decision prolongs uncertainty and endangers the Palestinian economy. Cutting off these banking ties, which Israel has a clear duty under the Paris Protocol to maintain, would create significant economic turmoil in the West Bank, jeopardising the security of Israel and the wider region.

There is no technical basis on which to withhold a year-long extension. We are fully satisfied that the Palestinian Authority has taken significant steps to counter the risks of terror financing, and that financial institutions within the West Bank maintain adequate controls to manage these risks. The issue of cross-border payments must not be leveraged to undermine the Palestinian Authorities, and Israel must pursue policies which promote internal and external financial stability.

As the deadline of 30 November approaches, we therefore renew our call for Israel to immediately extend the indemnifications by at least one year, and for future extensions to be transparent, predictable and de-politicised.