Tag: 2023

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 January 2023.

The Royal Navy’s offshore patrol vessel, HMS Tamar, sails to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 6 January as part of its permanent deployment in the Indo-Pacific.

Over the next five days, the ship and her crew will undertake capability demonstrations and maritime exercises with the Indian Navy.

HMS Tamar is one of two Royal Navy vessels on permanent deployment in the Indo-Pacific as set out in the UK’s Integrated Review. The ship’s visit to India is an opportunity to further strengthen the shared maritime domain awareness effort, and underlines the UK’s and India’s intent to collaborate in the Indian Ocean Region and wider Indo-Pacific.

First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, said:

I am delighted that HMS Tamar is visiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands this week, during her first time sailing in the Indian Ocean. The opportunity to engage with the local community and conduct training and exercises with the Indian Navy is hugely valuable.

The work HMS Tamar and her crew are doing with allies, partners and friends across the Indo-Pacific is crucial. As threats to global peace and stability mount, the Royal Navy values deeply its relationship with the Indian Navy in a shared endeavour to confront those who challenge the rules-based system and ensure peace and prosperity on and from the sea.

Acting British High Commissioner to India, Christina Scott, said:

HMS Tamar’s deployment is the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt in action; its visit, further evidence of the importance we attach to our defence and security relationship with India.

The Indo-Pacific, and indeed India, will drive future growth and prosperity for the world. It is imperative that it remains free and open to all in support of trade, shared security and values.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 January 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on situation in the Middle East.

Thank you President,

I also join others in thanking ASG Khiari for his briefing.

Firstly, the UK recognises that Jerusalem’s holy sites including Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount hold particular significance for many around the globe, especially the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. In that context, the visit was made by the Israeli minister for National Security has the potential to increase tensions.

The United Kingdom strongly supports the historic Status Quo governing Jerusalem’s holy sites, which protects the sites and those who worship there, and preserves peace.

The UK also recognises and values Jordan’s important role as custodian of the holy sites and urges the importance of cooperation with the Jordanian authorities in this regard. The UK is committed to working with all parties to uphold this Status Quo in Jerusalem. All parties must avoid actions which inflame tensions, undermine the cause of peace, or unilaterally seek to alter the Status Quo.

Second, our position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, ensuring that Jerusalem is the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states, with access and religious rights of all peoples fully respected.

Third, the UK reaffirms its support for a Two State Solution, based on 1967 lines and Jerusalem as the shared capital, as the only way to ensure a lasting peace between the parties. We are concerned by levels of violence in the OPTs and Israel. I encourage all parties to avoid actions that undermine the prospects of peace.

Thank you President.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 January 2023.

Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Political Coordinator at the UN, at the UN Security Council briefing on Chemical Weapons in Syria.

Thank you Mr President.

The UK joins others in welcoming you to the Council and assuring you of our full support during your Presidency.

We would also like to extend a warm welcome to colleagues from Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland.

I’d like to thank Mr Ebo for her briefing and the OPCW Director-General for his monthly report.

Last year we marked the 25th anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention’s entry into force. Each of us has a responsibility to ensure that it is upheld.

Prior to the start of the conflict in 2011, Syria had an extensive chemical weapons programme. In 2013, after multiple chemical weapons attacks this Council unanimously adopted resolution 2118.

But it became clear that Syria had retained a chemical weapons capability in contravention of resolution 2118 and the Chemical Weapons Convention – and worse than that, further attacks took place.

OPCW and joint UN-OPCW investigations confirmed that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons, including chlorine and sarin, on at least 8 occasions.

These were shocking attacks by the Syrian regime, designed to inflict mass casualties and extreme suffering on its own people.

Syria has since done everything possible to deflect and deny OPCW efforts to resolve the many serious gaps and omissions in its chemical weapons declaration.  As we’ve heard, Syria still today shows its contempt for its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and UNSCR 2118.

Sadly, over the last 9 years, accountability and effective Council action to uphold resolution 2118 has also been consistently blocked in the Council. There has also been a consistent disinformation campaign designed to undermine the OPCW and protect the Syrian regime from accountability for its crimes.

It is not too late to turn this around. We welcome the Technical Secretariat’s latest initiative to send a reduced team to Syria in January. This is an opportunity, finally, for the Syrian regime to come into compliance with their obligations. The responsibility rests with them.

President, we are approaching 10 years since the adoption of UNSCR 2118. As a Council we must insist on its full implementation. This means the complete destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile and accountability for their use.

As Mr Ebo said today, the absence of accountability is a threat to international peace and security and a danger to us all.

As a Council we cannot turn a blind eye. We too must uphold our responsibilities.

Thank you.