Tag: 2019 Press Release

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 24/10/2019.

Nik Mehta, DHM British Embassy Seoul, spoke at the ASK Global Summit on Real Estate & Infrastructure, hosted by the Korea Economic Daily.

Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

It’s a great pleasure to be here today, and I am particularly pleased to have the chance to speak before such a distinguished group of investors. I would like to take this opportunity to thank CEO Kim and his colleagues from the Korea Economic Daily for bringing us together this morning.

Over the next ten minutes, I hope to convince you, if you need convincing, why the UK continues to be a premier destination for capital investment.

Before I talk about capital investment and the importance of long-term growth, I wanted to say something the UK’s investment in Korea…in its broadest sense.

In 1797, a Royal Navy vessel captained by William Broughton was caught in a storm on its way to Japan. The vessel ended up in Busan and this was the first interaction between our two countries. It took almost a hundred years for the UK and Korea to agree a formal bilateral treaty – diplomacy took time in those days!

In 1883, the British government purchased the site of our current compound opposite City Hall for the princely sum of £100. Perhaps this was the first example of UK capital investment in Korea!

So our formal relationship is over 130 years old. The longest of any European country. We have been by Korea’s side through the ups and downs of the 20th century. Almost 100,000 British soldiers were deployed to Korea during the Korean War. We have remained a strong promoter of peace on the Peninsula ever since.

We have watched with huge admiration Korea’s democratic and economic growth over the last few decades. We are also proud that our trade and investment relationship has increased exponentially over this period. Since the EU-Korea FTA came into force in 2011, our bilateral trade has doubled to 22Tn Korean Won ($18.9bn).

But there is so much more that we, as the world’s 5th and 11th largest economies, can achieve together.

I was delighted that two months ago, the UK and Korea agreed a Continuity Free Trade Agreement. This agreement is the first of its kind in Asia. We expect it to be ratified by our respective parliaments shortly. This agreement will ensure that UK and Korean companies will continue to benefit from preferential tariffs when the EU-Korea FTA ceases to apply.

I know you won’t expect me to speculate on Brexit and what might happen in London over the next few days! And that’s good because the situation is developing so quickly. What I would say is two things: Firstly, when the UK leaves the EU, we will remain the EU’s closest partner and friend. We are leaving the EU not Europe. And Secondly, whatever happens over the next few months the UK-Korea relationship will remain strong and the ties between our two countries will continue to develop.

We are long-term investors in Korea not short-term speculators!

So why am I so confident about the UK’s attractiveness to investors?

As we move forward towards a more global future outside of the EU, foreign investors have reaffirmed their confidence in the UK. Between 2015 and 2018, the UK attracted more foreign direct Investment than any other country in Europe, with nearly four thousand projects bringing in more capital investment than second and third placed Germany and France combined. According to the Center of American Entrepreneurship, London is the third largest single destination for venture capital deals after Silicon Valley and New York.

Korean investors are already grasping opportunities in the UK.

Last year, the UK attracted more than 40 percent of the record $8.1 billion worth of South Korean investment into Europe’s commercial property market.

And this year, Korean companies are estimated to have invested almost $800 million in Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

Korean companies have also, in recent years, invested in UK rail and other transport infrastructure. Most noticeably the National Pension Services 30% stake in UK’s High Speed 1 which they acquired in 2017 and Samsung C&T has been a key partner in the development of the Mersey Gateway Bridge spanning the River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal.

We are committed to ensuring that the UK retains its reputation as a stable, open and mature market in which to invest. We have set out our ambitions in a bold, long-term industrial strategy. This will help generate growth and job creation to ensure the economic benefits are felt by all.

Companies investing in the UK will have access to one of the lowest rates of corporation tax in Europe, tax credits for companies innovating and registering patents in the UK, and access to a world class R&D environment and talent pool. Three of the world’s top 10 universities are in the UK including the top two.

And for international SMEs looking at the UK for global expansion we operate exciting investment support opportunities such as the Department of International Trade’s Global Entrepreneurs Programme.

A key foundation of our Industrial Strategy centres on upgrading the UK’s infrastructure throughout the country. Our National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline is worth around $778 billion and public infrastructure investment will have doubled in a decade by 2022/2023.

Through our Industrial Strategy, the country’s economic geography will be transformed by a surge of infrastructure investment heralding a new technological era. We plan to build a Britain that lives on the digital frontier, with full-fibre broadband, new 5G networks and smart technologies. As a former Deputy Director of GCHQ, the UK Government’s Cyber Intelligence Agency, I am proud that we have committed to making the UK the world’s safest place to live and work online.

We will create a new high speed rail network that connects people to jobs and opportunities, regenerate our stations and airports, and progressively upgrade our road network. And we will improve people’s lives where they live and work, with high quality housing and clean, affordable energy.

During today’s seminar you will hear about many of the investment ready projects currently available. Our team of expert advisors from our Department of International Trade stand ready to help you find appropriate opportunities and smooth the investment journey with tailored advice, insight and introductions.

Before I finish, I want to say something about the UK’s commitment to economic growth alongside our ambitious efforts to address the challenges of climate change.

Climate change and environmental degradation are among the most urgent and pressing challenges we face today. In July, the UK recorded its hottest day ever. The temperature reached 38.7C.

And here in Korea I have seen first-hand the declining air quality in Seoul. Days when we have seen the world’s highest levels of PM 2.5. Days when I cannot see the mountains behind the Blue House. Days when it is not safe for children to play outside.

The UK is a committed, ambitious and effective leader on climate change. We were the first major economy to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050. We have decarbonised our economy faster than any other G20 country, while retaining the highest growth figures in the G7. And we were the first country in the world to set a legally binding long-term emissions reduction target through the Climate Change Act 2008.

We have just doubled our contribution to the Green Climate Fund. And the UK will host COP26 in Glasgow in partnership with Italy, where we will be driving ambition on mitigation, resilience and finance.

Meeting our objectives and delivering the global transition to a low carbon economy will require unprecedented levels of investment in green and low carbon technologies, services and infrastructure.

More than $119 billion has been invested in clean energy in the UK since 2010 – but much more will be needed to deliver a net zero economy.

The low carbon economy in the UK could grow 11 per cent per year between 2015 and 2030 – over four times faster than the rest of the economy. Our Green Finance Strategy sets out how we will be working to apply a green filter to the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline.

Let me finish by saying: This is an exciting time for the UK. A time of unprecedented opportunities. We are confident in our assertion that in the UK, your businesses will prosper and your capital investments make strong and safe returns.

Thank you.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 24/10/2019.

British Ambassador to South Korea Simon Smith spoke at the 2019 International Conference on Coal Phase-out and Climate Action in Chungcheongnam-do.

Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

It is my distinct pleasure to be here in beautiful Chungcheongnam-do at the “2019 International Conference on Coal Phase-out and Climate Action”. As British Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, I am speaking today as co-chair of the Powering Past Coal Alliance, the world’s largest and most ambitious grouping of countries, sub-national governments and private sector participants working together to accelerate the phase out of coal from the energy mix. I am delighted to be here to celebrate the launch of the “East Asian Association of Climate and Environment”, led by our PPCA colleagues here in Chungcheongnam-do.

I would like to thank both Chungcheongnam-do and the Chungnam Institute for their sterling work in convening this conference. In particular I would like to express my gratitude to Governor of Chungcheongnam-do Yang Seung-jo, Chairman of the Chungcheongnam-do Provincial Assembly Yoo Byung-Kuk, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Environment Park Chun-kyu, Governor of Gyeonggi-do Lee Jae-myung, Mayor of Sejong-si Lee Choon-hee, French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Lefort and other distinguished guests. And it is an honour to be speaking straight after former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, whose climate legacy will be forever enshrined in the historic Paris Agreement.

In October last year Governor Yang signed Chuncheongnam-do’s Declaration to Join the Powering Past Coal Alliance, becoming our first Asian member. His climate leadership should remind us all that the continued burning of coal in Asia is a problem that requires Asia to take action. I hope today’s conference will encourage and extend climate action across Asia.

Climate change

In a world which faces many challenges, climate change is the single biggest threat to our way of life.

The IPCC special report on climate change made this abundantly clear. Even if we do achieve the 2˚C target agreed in Paris, while we may avoid many of the catastrophic effects of climate change, the consequences will be significantly worse than if we limit temperature rise to 1.5˚C.

We are already seeing the effects. This summer vast swathes of the Amazon rain forest, the lungs of our planet and home to 20% of the world’s stored oxygen, burned to the ground. Resource scarcity is driving migratory flows through North Africa to the Mediterranean Sea. Hurricanes continue to batter the Caribbean.

In July, the UK recorded its hottest day ever. The temperature reached 38.7C. In 2003 a heatwave claimed more than 70,000 lives across Europe, including 2,000 in the UK. We are still waiting to see this year’s death toll.

And here in Korea I have seen first-hand the declining air quality in Seoul. Days when we have seen the world’s highest levels of PM 2.5. Days when I cannot see the mountains behind the Blue House. Days when it is not safe for children to play outside.

But climate change is not merely a risk to the environment or to our health. It is a financial risk as well. For governments and business, unexpected financial damages resulting from natural disasters such as floods, storms and droughts can lead to major disruption. According to the Economist, the value of global financial assets at risk from climate change, including stranded assets, is estimated at $4.8 trillion.

UK climate action

The UK is a committed, ambitious and effective leader on climate change. We were the first major economy to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050. We have decarbonised our economy faster than any other G20 country, while retaining the highest growth figures in the G7. And we were the first country in the world to set a legally binding long-term emissions reduction target through the Climate Change Act 2008.

We have just doubled our contribution to the Green Climate Fund. And the UK will host COP26 in Glasgow in partnership with Italy, where we will be driving ambition on mitigation, resilience and finance. Of course, heads of state need to show strong climate leadership if we are to meet the Paris climate goal. But we need climate leadership at all levels of government, industry and civil society.

A history of coal in the UK

But I am here today to talk about coal. You can trace the UK’s long history with coal back to the role it played in powering the UK through the Industrial Revolution from the 19th century onwards.

In January 1882, Thomas Edison opened a 93 kilowatt turbine at Number 57 Holborn Viaduct in London. This was the world’s first coal power plant. By today’s standards it was tiny – about 65, 000 times smaller than the plant at Dangjin in Chungnam. Tellingly, it operated at a loss before closing 4 years later in 1886. A reminder that new energy technologies do require support before they become economically viable.

From the time of the Industrial Revolution, coal helped build modern Britain. Due to our long industrial history, there is a sentimental attachment to coal in Britain today and you can still see its effect on our skyline. For example, one of the most desirable residential developments in London right now is the renovation of Battersea Power Station, a starkly beautiful grade 2 listed building.

Coal phase-out in the UK

But the past is the past and times have changed. For clean air and public health, sustainable economic growth and trade promotion, the UK is driving the transition away from coal and into renewable energy.

We are phasing out coal from our energy mix. In 2012 coal accounted for 40% of our power. Today it is well under 5%. In 2017 we recorded our first coal-free day since the Industrial Revolution. And we keep setting longer and longer coal-free records, most recently in May, when the UK went without coal for 16 days. We will close the last of the UK’s coal-fired power plants by 2025 at the latest.

To keep the lights on we have invested in the largest installed offshore wind capacity in the world. This currently stands at 8.2 gigawatts and will rise to 14 gigawatts in 2023. In Scotland, wind turbines generated almost twice the domestic power requirements in the first 6 months of this year. Exports from our low carbon and renewable energy sector topped £5 billion in 2017. And 1 in 5 electric cars sold in Europe last year were built in the UK.

Powering past coal alliance

The UK and Canada launched the Powering Past Coal Alliance at COP23 in 2017. We now have over 90 members, most recently Germany and Slovakia who joined at the UN Climate Action Summit in September. We are of course still very proud that Chungcheongnam-do were the first participants from Asia.

The PPCA is a voluntary, member-led organisation of like-minded governments, sub-national bodies and businesses who have made a commitment to phase out coal. At the national level, members must commit to phasing out coal power generation, while corporations and non-government members must commit to power their operations without coal. All members must commit to supporting clean power generation through their policies.

In July we launched the PPCA finance principles, which explain how financial institutions can support unabated coal phase out by 2050 globally and by 2030 in the OECD to meet the Paris goal. It will be key to bring the financial sector on board to accelerate coal phase out.

Asia’s turn to step up

Coal accounts for nearly a third of the rise in average temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. And Asia digs up and burns three quarters of the world’s coal. So the single most powerful step that countries in Asia can take, to support the commitments made in Paris, is to phase out coal from their energy mix and accelerate the transition to renewable energy.

The transition away from coal must be a just transition. Support is required for those affected who will lose their jobs. New opportunities must be created in the low carbon sector. Globally, we expect to see $11.5 trillion investment in new power generation between now and 2050, of which 73% will be in wind and solar.

Phasing out coal and raising climate ambition to keep temperatures rises under 1.5 degrees will not be easy. But together, you have the power to build a coalition of climate action that can drive ambition at the national level to deliver the Paris Agreement.

Thank you.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 24/10/2019.

Statement by David Clay, UK Political Coordinator at the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the situation in Sudan and South Sudan.

Thank you, Mr President. We hope to see both governments seize the opportunities this offers for forging a lasting and comprehensive peace in Abyei, Blue Nile and South Kordofan. We are therefore encouraged by the recent talks between the governments of Sudan and South Sudan and express our hope that this momentum in bilateral relations will continue.

A strengthened dialogue is key to securing a lasting resolution to the situation in Abyei.

We remain concerned that armed forces from both sides continue to occupy the safety militarized border zone. We therefore commend the recent commitment by both governments to withdraw all forces from this zone and urge swift implementation of this commitment.

Mr President, the UK welcomes the first round of preliminary peace talks between the government of Sudan and the armed movements. We encourage all parties to return to talks on 21 November, ready to engage constructively and without preconditions.

We also welcome the government of Sudan’s moves to remove bureaucratic impediments on humanitarian actors. We hope this decision will be implemented in full, enabling unfettered humanitarian access across Sudan, including in Abyei and the two areas.

Mr President, against this changing backdrop, we welcome the continuing progress outlined in the Secretary-General’s report at the mission level, including on human rights and judicial capacity-building. However, we recognise the persistent operational challenges the mission faces, including delays in issuing visas and entry clearances for mission assets. We regret that the civilian deputy head of mission has not yet been deployed, given the importance of this role in supporting progress on the political track.

Like others around the table, we commend the government of Ethiopia for its contribution to UNISFA. We condemn all attacks on mission personnel and reiterate our condolences to the government of Ethiopia and the family of the peacekeeper who lost his life on 16 July.

Mr President, as the security situation in Abyei remains fragile with an increasing criminality and sporadic presence of armed elements, we share the Secretary-General’s assessment that UNISFA continues to have a vital role in maintaining stability. This council should ensure the mission is adequately resourced to deliver its mandate, including through strengthened civilian and police capabilities. This is vital if Abyei and the two areas are to benefit from the opportunities for peace created by recent political developments at the national level.

Thank you, Mr President.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 24/10/2019.

Statement by Ambassador Jonathan Allen, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the situation on Syria.

The UK welcomes the fact that the US-brokered ceasefire is holding in north-east Syria and that the fighting appears to be over. We note the agreement announced on Tuesday by Presidents Putin and Erdogan that this ceasefire is now permanent and the subsequent announcement statement from the Turkish Ministry of Defence that they see no need for further operations.

In that context, let me say that we call on Turkey, as all actors in this Syrian conflict, to comply with the obligations towards civilians under international humanitarian law.

We will be looking very closely at the details and implementation of the agreements announced, including its impact on governance and the local population.

The security situation in the north-east remains volatile. Military developments have led to 180,000 people displaced, 80,000 of whom are children, and over 10,000 have fled to Iraq. A number of international aid workers felt compelled to leave, which has had a serious impact on operations. It is essential that humanitarian actors have unrestricted access to areas where people continue to be in need.

We hope that these displaced people will soon be able to return to their homes safely and that damage caused to critical infrastructure is swiftly repaired.

Mr President, on 16 October, this Council agreed press elements expressing our collective concern about the impact of recent developments on the humanitarian situation and the possible resurgence of Daesh. The Sochi agreement has not alleviated our concern. It is imperative that the Council is kept informed of the humanitarian situation, including in IDP camps, as well as on the threat posed by Daesh.

We note the return of regime forces to areas of north-east Syria, following the agreement between the SDF and Damascus. Given the appalling record of the regime’s security forces elsewhere, the behaviour of these forces is something we will monitor very closely.

We continue to support the rights of Syrian refugees to return to their homes when it is considered safe to do so. But we would have serious concerns about any attempt to force refugees to return to Syria against their will.

Mr President, any returns must be voluntary and in line with UNHCR principles. Any attempt at deliberate demographic change would be unacceptable.

Mr President, the United Kingdom is one of the largest donors to the humanitarian needs of Syrians, and we do so throughout Syria, and in its neighbours. There is no politicisation in our provision of life-saving support. But as we and our European Union partners have previously made clear, we will not provide stabilisation or development assistance in areas where the rights of local populations are ignored.

All of these concerns mean that the role of the United Nations has a much more important in north-east Syria, particularly given the difficulties being faced by other humanitarian agencies. To allow humanitarian agencies to prepare, plan and respond, we would welcome clarity about how the United Nations plans to scale up its response.

Assistant Secretary-General Mueller made clear the need for the renewal of the cross-border aid resolution, 2449. And I’d also like to acknowledge Madame Marcaillou’s assessment and depiction of the scale of the challenge. And as UNMAS seeks to step up its efforts, we will need and we expect to see the regime cooperating fully and allowing access.

Mr President, we cannot let events elsewhere in Syria distract us from the dire humanitarian situation which persists in Idlib. We were extremely concerned to learn of the resumption of airstrikes and shelling last week.

Since the beginning of May, let us remember that over 1,000 civilians have been killed, including more than 500 women and children, and over 688,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. So we urge all parties to respect the ceasefire agreed on 31 August. And we look forward to the Board of Inquiry’s investigation into the appalling attacks in Idlib and its subsequent update to this Council.

The United Kingdom would once again like to welcome the first meeting of the Constitutional Committee next week. This is a momentous occasion. Mr Pedersen has the United Kingdom’s full backing.

A political process in line with Security Council Resolution 2254 is crucial to peace in Syria. The Syrian people have suffered through nine years of conflict and, as events in Idlib and the north-east testify, that suffering is not over.

Mr President, the Constitutional Committee is an opportunity for Syrians from all sides to sit down, to grapple with the real issues which have caused the conflict. It is an important signal. But it must more than that. It must be the start of real, genuine change. That will require serious engagement and commitment from all participants to succeed. Unless the regime realises that its actions have been a fundamental reason for the conflict, nothing will be achieved. We call on the regime representatives to demonstrate that at the upcoming first meeting.

Thank you, Mr President.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 25/10/2019.

The UK government shares the OAS and EEAS assessments of substantial shortcomings in the 20 October 2019 presidential election in Bolivia.

A Foreign & Commonwealth Office spokesperson said:

“The United Kingdom shares the Organisation of American States (OAS) and European External Action Service (EEAS) assessments that substantial shortcomings in Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections in Bolivia, notably the unexpected interruption of publication of voting results, undermined their credibility and transparency.

We also agree that the best option would be to hold a second round to restore trust in the process and to fully ensure the democratic choice of the Bolivian people. We call on all parties to refrain from violence.”

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 26/10/2019.

The United Kingdom’s Minister for Europe attended the 31st annual United Kingdom-Spain Tertulias event.

Christopher Pincher joined Spanish Europe Minister Luis Marco Aguiriano at the event in Edinburgh which celebrates the United Kingdom’s strong bilateral and cultural links with Spain and commitment to strengthening the United Kingdom-Spain relationship after Brexit.

The Minister for Europe Christopher Pincher said:

“The annual Tertulias dialogue illustrates the breadth and depth of the relationship between the United Kingdom and Spain. We have participants from politics, business, media and civil society, coming together to discuss some of the most important issues facing both our countries, such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and the future of financial services.

The richness of this dialogue reflects the close people to people links that exist between the United Kingdom and Spain and our commitment to strengthen those links once we have left the EU.”

The United Kingdom and Spain have a deep and broad bilateral relationship. Our bilateral trade was worth £50 billion pounds last year and growing. Spain is the eighth largest investor in the United Kingdom (£50bn inward FDI stock), while Spain is the fifth destination for British investment (£71bn outward FDI stock).

The United Kingdom and Spain collaborate closely on justice, defence, security and preventing organised crime. We also have strong people to people links, over 300,000 British nationals living in Spain, and nearly 200,000 Spanish nationals resident in the United Kingdom.

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 26/10/2019.

The UK government signed a trade and political continuity agreement with the Moroccan government in London on 26 October 2019.

– trade between the UK and Morocco was worth £2.5 billion in 2018

– the UK has now secured trade with countries accounting for £109 billion

– this agreement will ensure British businesses and consumers benefit from continued access to the Moroccan market after we leave the EU

The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Dr Andrew Murrison signed the agreement with the Moroccan Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita.

Welcoming the agreement, Minister of State Dr Andrew Murrison said:

The UK and Morocco have a close friendship and an important diplomatic history that is over 800 years old.

The signing of this Agreement builds on the UK’s deep cultural, political and economic ties with the region and demonstrates our commitment to increase trade and constructive dialogue with Morocco.

Importantly, the Agreement will give exporters and consumers the certainty they need to continue trading freely and in confidence as the UK prepares to leave the EU.

The agreement will ensure British businesses and consumers benefit from continued trade with Morocco after we leave the EU. It provides, among other trade benefits, tariff-free trade of industrial products together with liberalisation of trade in agricultural, agri-food and fisheries products.

Minister of State for Trade Policy, Conor Burns said:

The world is ready to sign free trade deals with Britain, they want to work with our people and have better links with our industries and it is our priority to ensure businesses have the tools they need to continue trading freely after Brexit.

The agreement signed with Morocco today will help provide certainty for businesses, ensuring they can continue to trade on the same terms with our Moroccan partners. On my recent visit to Morocco, I witnessed first-hand the many opportunities available to UK and Moroccan firms to advance our trade together.

I look forward to maintaining and further strengthening our current trade, political and security relationship with Morocco as we continue to work closely together in the future.

In addition to growing trade, today’s agreement seeks to deepen UK-Moroccan co-operation across foreign policy, economic, social and cultural ties. The Agreement provides a framework for policy dialogue and to strengthen cooperation on important issues like trade, educational and environmental matters. The Agreement sends a strong signal that Britain is committed to a close bilateral relationship with Morocco and will continue to play a positive role in the region.

Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Morocco, Thomas Reilly, said:

“Morocco has a well-diversified and modern market across a number of sectors where UK companies and expertise have much to offer. I hope that this Agreement will usher in a new phase of increased bilateral investment in each other’s economies, which is so essential for continued stable economic growth.”

Background

– this Agreement will be subject to domestic parliamentary procedures in both the UK and Morocco before it is brought into force

– this Agreement is designed to take effect when the EU-Morocco Association Agreement ceases to apply to the UK. If we leave the EU at the end of October, the Agreement will come into effect on a provisional basis to maintain continuity before both Parties have completed their respective domestic procedures

– the UK has signed or agreed in principle 18 Trade Continuity Agreements with 48 countries. A regularly updated list of all signed agreements is available on GOV.UK

– statistics sourced from ONS ‘UK total trade: all countries, non-seasonally adjusted January to March 2019 release’. Figures relate to 2018. Note that this includes routine data revisions since the previous ONS release

– the UK-Morocco Association Agreement replicates the effects of the existing trade and non-trade provisions as far as possible. Under the Agreement consumers in the UK will continue to benefit from lower prices on goods imported from Morocco, such as fruit and vegetables. Consumers in Morocco will continue to benefit from lower tariffs on products such as dairy products, meat, fruit and vegetables from the UK

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 26/10/2019.

Minister for Middle East Dr Andrew Murrison calls for Iraqi security forces to show restraint and for protests to be peaceful.

Minister for the Middle East, Dr Andrew Murrison said:

“I am deeply concerned about the continued violence in Iraq. I send my condolences to the families of those who have died and wish a speedy recovery to those who have been injured.

We continue to urge the Iraqi security forces to show restraint and for protests to be peaceful. More violence will simply worsen an already fragile situation. The Iraqi Government should investigate all credible allegations of criminal violence and use of excessive force by security forces.

Real political and economic reform to deliver on the legitimate demands of the protesters is the only way forward. The UK continues to support the Iraqi government to take quick and effective action on tackling corruption, creating jobs and improving services.”

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 27/10/2019.

The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary outlined the UK government’s reaction to the announcement of the death of Daesh’s leader.

The UK has played a leading role in the Global Coalition Against Daesh, working hand in hand with international partners to defeat Daesh. Since the Global Coalition commenced in September 2014, it has helped to liberate more than 7.7 million and 110,000 square kilometres across Iraq and Syria from Daesh.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

“The death of Baghdadi is a significant milestone in the coalition’s work to defeat Daesh but it is not the end of the threat.

Daesh has imposed terrible suffering on innocent civilians. The UK will continue to work with our international partners to bring this to an end.”

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

“ISIS is one of the most murderous terrorist organisations of our generation. Their leaders have twisted Islam to groom thousands of people into joining their evil cause.

I welcome the action that has been taken. The world will not miss Al-Baghdadi.

The UK has played a leading role in the Global Coalition Against Daesh, working hand in hand with international partners to defeat the group and we will continue to do so.”

Below is a press release issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 28/10/2019.

Minister for Asia and the Pacific Heather Wheeler gave the keynote speech at the One Young World Summit networking dinner at Lancaster House on 24 October.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to welcome you all to London on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, and to welcome the tenth One Young World Summit back to the UK, where it all began.

Lancaster House has hosted many an historic diplomatic occasion – prior to this evening’s! This is a night up there with them all.

From the Coronation Banquet thrown by Winston Churchill, and the founding negotiations of NATO in the 1950s; you guys are making history where history had been made.

To more recent State Visits by President Obama and President Xi Jinping and last year’s Commonwealth summit. Last time I was here was for the Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting.

Working together

What all these occasions have in common with this evening is that they are all about bringing people together to make the world a better place. I am not going to sing the song.

That applies as much to local politics as to international diplomacy. I was first elected as a Councillor at the age of 22, and I have been Member of Parliament for the lovely constituency of South Derbyshire since 2010. I may be a Foreign Office Minister but the needs of my constituents are always still a massive priority for me. When I get back at midnight I will have a packed few days in Derbyshire.

Each Friday I meet people for open-door, face to face “surgeries”. I need to be ready to consider questions about anything from the price of heating, and how to access services, to problems with parking and planning permission. Maybe even visa issues. It is a constant reminder that politics is about real people with real concerns.

I am pleased and stunned that One Young World is also alive to the practical nature of the challenges in front of us. And that it is an engine of ideas for responding to the concerns of real people around the world.

These certainly are interesting times, both here in the UK and globally.

Global Britain

We in the UK are leaving the European Union and reshaping our place in the world as a truly Global Britain. A country that is loyal, energetic and committed – to friends both near and far, new friends and old friends.

We live in a time when people across the world are re-engaging with politics and the issues that matter to them – which is great. The job of those of us in government is not to pay lip service to them, but to listen and learn, to stay true to our values, and to act in the best interests of the people we serve.

It is an approach that I take in both local politics and international affairs.

Let me leave you with 3 messages about what that means for the UK, with our newfound freedom on the world stage.

First, we are going to engage more, listen more, and do more.

We have expanded our diplomatic service and we are opening new posts, meaning ours will be the third largest diplomatic network in the world, after the US and China. We will be more open than ever before to foreign visitors, students and workers.

Second, the UK will continue to play a leading role in global affairs, defending our interests and promoting our values as an active global citizen and a force for good in the world.

That means continuing to work for global peace, security and prosperity as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and a leading member of NATO, the G7, G20 and the Commonwealth.

Our Commonwealth delegates will have heard my colleague Lord Ahmad talk on Monday about the critical importance of that organisation as a global voice and influence.

The UK’s role as a force for good also means continuing to support the world’s most vulnerable people, through our generous humanitarian and peacekeeping funding, and through helping countries build resilience to climate change.

Climate change

We have already helped tens of millions of people to adapt to our changing climate, and now we are doubling our support for international climate finance, as our Prime Minister announced at the UN Climate Summit in September. One of the first things he did as the new Prime Minister.

We were the first major economy to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050. We will continue to invest in clean energy, we will build sustainable infrastructure, and we will share British expertise in science, innovation and green finance.

Next year we are hosting COP26 in partnership with Italy, up in Glasgow. We want to raise the level of global ambition and the sense of urgency, to prevent further catastrophic global warming and help the worst affected countries adapt to the impacts that are already being felt.

My third and final message to you today is that we need you – young politicians, thinkers and entrepreneurs – to get stuck in, and offer your ideas on how we can fix the problems we all face, and make the world a better place.

Chevening

This is one reason why the UK is offering more of our brilliant Chevening scholarships. Some of you are already Chevening scholars, or applying to be.

If you don’t know about it, the Chevening programme brings bright young people to the UK to study in our fantastic universities, and then afterwards they join a global network of 50,000 alumni.

So many of them are now in positions of influence that we call them Changemakers.

They include the youngest minister in Botswana’s history; a distinguished Indian conservationist, and the first female judge in in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, who has made a huge difference to women and other marginalised members of society.

Get on the scheme and go for the stars because you are the ones who will change the world.

If you want to make a positive difference in this world, be it in government or the judiciary, or through business or civil society, you will find a supportive partner in the UK government.

So make the most of the Summit. Enjoy London. Keep in touch.

And most of all – whether big or small, local or international – always strive to make a positive difference.