Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 6 August 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani this afternoon.

The leaders began by discussing the appalling humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Prime Minister underlined the urgent need for a ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and an immediate influx of aid into Gaza. The Prime Minister thanked His Highness for Qatar’s tireless work on ceasefire negotiations and reiterated the UK’s support.

The leaders agreed there must be no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza and the Prime Minister set out his work so far with allies on a concrete plan to secure lasting peace in the region as part of a two-state solution.

They agreed to continue to work closely together on this going forward, and that they would stay in touch.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 August 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan this afternoon.

The leaders discussed the appalling humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They were clear that an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and the urgent lifting of restrictions on humanitarian aid were paramount.

The Prime Minister set out the further action the UK is taking to get humanitarian aid to those who need it and his work so far with allies on a long-term peace plan.

He outlined that it was his government’s longstanding position that a viable and sovereign Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel can be the only basis for a just and lasting peace. He then set out how the UK will recognise the state of Palestine before UNGA in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commits to a long-term peace.

On the topic of Iran, the Prime Minister underlined the fact that only a diplomatic solution can end Iran’s nuclear ambitions in the long-term and welcomed Türkiye’s role in hosting recent talks.

Finally, the leaders discussed the latest progress towards signing a new export deal to sell UK-built Typhoon jets to Türkiye, and looked forward to speaking again soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 August 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this afternoon.

The Prime Minister began by sharing his condolences for the deadly attack on Kyiv in recent days. It was a bitter reminder of the human cost of the awful conflict perpetrated by Russia, the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister then updated on President Trump’s visit to the UK, and both leaders welcomed the President’s new deadline on Russia to stop their stalling tactics and make meaningful progress on a peace deal.

It was clear Russia was the only barrier to peace, the leaders agreed.

Turning to the landmark agreement to share battlefield technology and scale up the production of drones that the Prime Minister and President agreed in June, the Prime Minister updated on the strong progress being made at rapid pace. The Prime Minister also welcomed the passing of Ukraine’s anti-corruption bill earlier this week.

The leaders looked forward to speaking again soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 August 2025.

The King has approved the nomination of Bishop Andrew Rumsey, Dr Ingrid Samuel OBE, Lord (Stephen) Parkinson of Whitley Bay, Michael Bithell JP, Vivienne King and Reverend Canon Timothy Goode.

Andrew Rumsey read history at the University of Reading before training for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and doctoral studies at King’s College, London. Ordained in 1997, he has held a variety of parish posts in London and Southwark and was appointed Suffragan Bishop of Ramsbury in 2018. Andrew is the joint National Church of England Lead for Church and Cathedral Buildings, and is a writer, musician and champion for Anglican heritage.

Dr Ingrid Helene Samuel OBE was educated at McGill University, Canada, obtaining BA in History, she then gained a M Litt and PhD in Modern History at Jesus College, Cambridge. In 2004 Ingrid was Head of Culture for the London Olympic Bid and between 2005 – 2011 has held several roles in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport including Head of Properties and Ceremonial Branch, Head of Heritage, and Head of Heritage and Architecture. Additionally, in 2011 she took up the role of Placemaking and Heritage Director with the National Trust.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, obtaining an MA in History. From 2021-2024 Stephen was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, and previously was Political Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Adviser to the Home Secretary.

Michael Bithell JP was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, completing a MA in Engineering Science and post-graduate studies in Manufacture and Management at Cambridge University. Now retired, Michael was Group Finance Director of United Westminster and Grey Coat Foundation from 2015 to 2022. Previously, he worked for Deloitte LLP for 23 years, as Director, National Quality & Risk; and Director, Corporate Finance Government & Infrastructure. He has a number of voluntary and non-executive positions, including as a member of London Diocesan Synod, Finance Committee and Non-Property Investment Committee, as a Magistrate and an Honorary Steward of Westminster Abbey.

Vivienne King was educated at Keele University obtaining a BSoc Sci in Law and Politics in 1983, subsequently completing a Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in 1985. In 2010 and 2012 she completed a Corporate Finance Programme with Cranfield University and in 2021 undertook Business Sustainability Management with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. After seven years as Real Estate Associate with Herbert Smith Freehills, Vivienne joined The Crown Estate in 1994 as a Senior Solicitor and was subsequently Director of Business Operations & General Counsel. She was CEO of the Soho Housing Association from 2016 to 2020, CEO of Revo and then Head of Real Estate Social Impact at The Good Economy. In March 2024 Vivienne founded Impactful Places, an independent sustainability consultancy.

Timothy Goode has been the Canon for Congregational Discipleship and Nurture at York Minster since September 2023. Previously he was Rector of St Margaret’s Lee in South East London, and a member of General Synod and Archbishops’ Council. Tim is a member of the National Disability Task Group, which advises the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on disability issues and he led the first debate on disability at the General Synod in July 2022. Tim was a secondary school teacher at the Roehampton Institute and Director of Music of Homefield School from 1995-2007. He trained for ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon and served his title at Croydon Minster, in the Diocese of Southwark and was ordained priest in 2010. From September 2012 to May 2018, he was Team Vicar of St Luke’s Whyteleafe and St Peter and St Paul, Chaldon, part of the Caterham Team ministry. From 2013 to 2021 he was additionally the Southwark Diocesan Disability Advisor. Tim was made an Honorary Canon of Southwark Cathedral in September 2020 and has been a trustee of the Churches Conservation Trust since November 2020. He has now been re-appointed in the role for a second term until October 2028.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 July 2025.

The Prime Minister welcomed the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to Chequers today.

The leaders celebrated the landmark UK-India Free Trade Agreement, which was signed today and will see growth in every part of the country – delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.

The deal will see tariffs lowered so businesses can expand more easily in one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The Prime Minister highlighted that UK consumers will benefit from lower prices and greater choice too.

The Prime Minister also welcomed nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins, which will create 2,200 jobs across the UK.

The leaders also discussed the importance of the UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which will see closer collaboration on trade, defence, security, technology and education – underscored by the close and historic relationship between the two countries.

The leaders also discussed the Air India plane crash last month, and said their sympathies are with all the families and loved ones of the victims. The Prime Minister said the UK will continue to support all those affected by the tragedy.

They looked forward to seeing one another soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 July 2025.

Today, the Prime Minister will welcome nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins.

Today, the Prime Minister will welcome nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins, which will create over 2,200 British jobs across the country as Indian firms expand their operations in the UK and British companies secure new business opportunities in India. These deals will drive jobs in high-growth sectors like aerospace, technology and advanced manufacturing – supporting engineers, technicians and supply chain workers, in every corner of the UK.

It comes as the Prime Minister is set to meet the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, today for the signing of the landmark UK-India trade deal. From Coventry to Carlisle, new analysis shows communities across every region of the UK will benefit from its £4.8 billion increase to UK GDP each year.

Thanks to the deal, British workers will enjoy a collective uplift in wages of £2.2 billion each year and could also see cheaper prices and more choice on clothes, shoes, and food products.

The UK already imports £11 billion in goods from India, but liberalised tariffs on Indian goods will make it easier and cheaper to buy their best products. For businesses, this could mean potential savings when importing components and materials used in areas such as advanced manufacturing or luxury and consumer goods.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Our landmark trade deal with India is a major win for Britain. It will create thousands of British jobs across the UK, unlock new opportunities for businesses and drive growth in every corner of the country, delivering on our Plan for Change.

We’re putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Brits and helping families with the cost of living, and we’re determined to go further and faster to grow the economy and raise living standards across the UK.

India’s average tariff on UK products will drop from 15% to 3% which means British companies selling products to India from soft drinks and cosmetics to cars and medical devices will find it easier to sell to the Indian market.

Whisky producers will benefit from tariffs slashed in half, reduced immediately from 150% to 75% and then dropped even further to 40% over the next ten years – giving the UK an advantage over international competitors in reaching the Indian market.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

The billions brought to our economy from the trade deal signed today will reach all regions and nations of the UK so working people in every community can feel the benefits.

The almost £6 billion in new investment and export wins announced today will deliver thousands of jobs and shows the strength of our partnership with India as we ensure the UK is the best place in the world to invest and do business.

This government is proving time and again that we can deliver on our mission to grow the economy, put more money in pockets and boost living standards under our Plan for Change.

The two Prime Ministers have also signed a renewed Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership, which will see closer collaboration on defence, education, climate, technology and innovation. This comes exactly one year since the countries signed the landmark UK-India Technology Security Initiative, which sees joint work on telecoms security and unlocking investment across emerging technologies – telecoms, critical minerals, AI, quantum, health/bio tech, advanced materials and semiconductors.

The UK and India have also agreed to strengthen cooperation in tackling corruption, serious fraud, organised crime, and irregular migration through enhanced intelligence sharing and operational collaboration. This includes committing to finalising a groundbreaking new criminal records sharing agreement, facilitating the exchange of criminal records to support criminal proceedings, maintain accurate watchlists and enable the enforcement of travel bans. These measures represent a significant step forward in joint efforts to combat organised immigration crime.

Aligned with the UK’s recent Industrial and Trade Strategies, the deal will support the sectors which drive the most growth for the economy. The UK’s large and varied manufacturing sectors will benefit from tariffs cut on aerospace (as high as 11% reduced to 0%), automotives (up to 110% down to 10% under a quota) and electrical machinery (from up to 22% down to either 0% of a 50% reduction).

A reduction in tariffs, combined with a reduction in regulatory barriers to trade between the UK and India are estimated to:

• Increase UK exports to India by nearly 60% in the long run – this is equivalent to an additional £15.7 billion of UK exports to India when applied to projections of future trade in 2040.
• Increase bilateral trade by nearly 39% in the long run, equivalent to £25.5 billion a year, when compared to 2040 projected levels of trade in the absence of an agreement

The clean energy industry will have brand new, unprecedented access to India’s vast procurement market as the country makes the switch to renewable energy and continues to see growing energy demand.

For financial and professional business services, locked in access will offer certainty to expand in India’s growing market and measures such as binding India’s foreign investment cap for the insurance sector, ensuring UK financial services companies are treated on an equal footing with domestic suppliers.

Meanwhile, 26 British companies have secured new business in India. Airbus & Rolls-Royce will soon begin delivering Airbus aircraft – with over half powered by Rolls-Royce engines – to major Indian airlines as part of around £5 billion worth of contracts recently agreed. These orders will help sustain hundreds of jobs across their respective sites in Filton, Broughton and Derby.

18 firms have confirmed new investment including Zerowatt Energy, AI powered energy intelligence platform is setting up its Global HQ in Leicester. The firm will invest £10m and create 50 new jobs across Leicester, Manchester, Edinburgh and London over the next three years.

Other UK and Indian businesses who have confirmed almost £6 billion in new investments and export deals today creating over 2,200 jobs across the UK includes:

• Carbon Clean, a UK-based leader in carbon capture, with projected UK export contributions of £83 million over the next five years, has invested £7.6 million in a Global Innovation Centre in Mumbai. This ODI and export wins will unlock 250 jobs across London, Glasgow and Huddersfield as well as 100 jobs in Mumbai.
• AI and data services company, DCube AI, is investing £5 million in the UK, unlocking 50 jobs across Manchester and London in the next three years to strength its technology offering to UK customers.
• Occuity, an innovative UK AI healthcare company has partnered with Remidio Innovative Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a leading Indian manufacturer and distributor of ophthalmic medical devices to bring Occuity’ s cutting-edge ophthalmic screening technologies to India, improving access to innovative and non-invasive eye screening and leading to an export value of £74.3 million over 5 years.
• Johnson Matthey has secured recent contracts of over £20 million for process licensing, engineering, and catalysts supply in India and will invest £4 million in a new plant at Taloja (Maharashtra ) to manufacture novel homogenous catalysts, ligands, and metals salts and in doubling its capacity of Oxidic Nickel at Panki in Uttar Pradesh.
• Marcus Evans Group, a global business intelligence and summits business company established its new Global Technology office in Mumbai to serve its 59 offices worldwide and has confirmed a combined Export (£42mn) and ODI (£27mn) win of £69 million over the next five years from India.
• LTIMindtree , a global technology consulting and digital solutions company plans to further expand its London operations by adding over 300 highly skilled jobs, investing £1m. This includes a state-of-the-art AI innovation studio and showcase lab.
• Aurionpro, a global enterprise technology leader in Banking, Payments, Insurance, Data Centers, and Public Sector technology is investing over £20M to launch its UK HQ, creating 150+ high-value jobs in multiple locations across UK over 3 years. It will also open AI-powered R&D labs in collaboration with top UK universities to develop next-gen transport technology and lead the global Safe Superintelligence (SSI) movement, ensuring AI is built safely and ethically.

Tufan Erginbiligic, Rolls-Royce CEO, said:

India is an important market for our business, with over 90 years of partnership with Indian industry and the Indian Government. We welcome the provisions in this Free Trade Agreement, including those that bring closer alignment with international standards for trade in civil aerospace. These agreements will benefit Rolls-Royce and our customers, paving the way for future aerospace growth in India.

Nik Jhangiani, Interim Chief Executive, Diageo, said:

This agreement marks a great moment for both Scotch and Scotland, and we’ll be raising a glass of Johnnie Walker to all those who have worked so hard to get it secured.

William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said:

The signing of this agreement is a clear signal of the UK’s continuing commitment to free and fair trade. It will open a new era for our businesses and boost investment between two of the world’s largest economies.

Currently around 16,000 UK companies are trading goods with Indian companies, and there is high interest in our Chamber Network to grow that.  This deal will create new opportunities in the transport, travel, creative and business support sectors alongside traditional strengths in finance and professional services.

Jean-Etienne Gourgues, Chivas Brothers Chairman and CEO, said:

Signature of the UK-India FTA is a sign of hope in challenging times for the spirits industry.  India is the world’s biggest whisky market by volume and greater access will be an eventual game changer for the export of our Scotch whisky brands, such as Chivas Regal and Ballantine’s.

The deal will support long term investment and jobs in our distilleries in Speyside and our bottling plant at Kilmalid and help deliver growth in both Scotland and India over the next decade. Let’s hope that both governments will move quickly to ratification so business can get to work implementing the deal!

The remaining trade and investment wins included in the aggregate figures includes:

• Cloudseals pioneers in deep tech and cloud innovations. They specialize in AI, AGI, and quantum computing and have a strong foundation in providing top-tier cloud professional services. Cloudseals is investing £5 million to create 150 jobs over the next three years in the UK.
• Antino, technology consulting & digital development company, is investing £1 million to create 60 jobs over the next three years in the UK.
• Kiya.ai, a trusted technology partner for financial institutions, delivering innovative, secure, and scalable software solutions that drive digital transformation, operational excellence, and customer-centric growth is expanding in London and creating scaling to 50 new jobs over 3 years and with £1.5 million investment.
• Kegien Enterprise a distinguished marine products company specialising in everything from fresh to frozen seafood is investing £2.3 million and creating 25 jobs in UK over next three years
• Sanvi Industries’ UK-based subsidiary, Sinar Technology, will invest £4.6 million in agri-tech R&D and launch new moisture and smart moisture meters, creating 40 new jobs.
• PromptTech Global, a leading enterprise technology firm, is investing £11 million and 60 jobs in London/ UK regions over the next three years.
• 2base technologies global digital transformation company specialising in AI led product engineering, intelligent automation and scalable technology solutions company, investing £10 million and 50 high skilled jobs in the next three years.
• Allied Digital is embarking on a strategic expansion of its UK operations, aiming to significantly scale its workforce and local capabilities. The company plans to grow its UK team to 500 high skilled jobs by March 2028. To facilitate this growth, Allied Digital anticipates a capital investment of £1.2 million over three-years.
• Kyzer Software, a leading Indian provider of banking software solutions, is expanding its global footprint with a strategic investment of £10 million over the next 3 years to establish operations in London. This move is set to create 50 new jobs over the coming years, reinforcing Kyzer’s commitment to driving digital transformation in Trade Finance, Compliance, and RegTech across international markets.
• Mswipe Technologies, one of India’s top payment processors, is launching in the UK this August. Their offering is built on three pillars: a. Low sign-up fees, low processing fees and flexible contracts, b. Dedicated relationship managers, c. Premium hardware with advanced features. They are investing £8 million and creating 50 jobs in the UK over the next three years.
• CredAble, India’s largest working capital technology platform, is setting up operations in London with plans to invest £15 million over the next three years, creating 25 new roles.
• Flamingo Pharma is expanding its UK footprint with a £5 million investment and 15 new jobs over a period of 3 years, bringing affordable, high-quality generics across key therapeutic areas — from antibiotics to cardiovascular care.
• Techvantage Systems, a global leader in AI and Data Analytics, is planning to invest £10 million in London over three years to expand its flagship platform, Zentis AI, focused on automating BFSI processes. This strategic move will create 50 high-quality jobs, with plans to scale operations and innovation across the United Kingdom.
• Virtual Autopsy UK delivers non-invasive autopsy technology that preserves the dignity of the deceased, projecting £29 million in exports to India over five years.
• Smile Lab’s Instasmile is set to take India by storm and launch their D2C dental business worth £20 million over 5 years through innovative clip-on veneer and aligner products making smile makeovers accessible to the entire Indian population.
• Wilson Power Solutions announces £21 million investment in Chennai to quadruple transformer manufacturing capacity, supporting the clean energy transition in both India and the UK through strengthened engineering collaboration between the two countries.
• MergeXR Studio have secured film production, visual effects automation and live content production technology contracts worth £34 million with Indian studios.
• International Aerospace Manufacturing Private Limited (IAMPL) – a joint-venture between Rolls-Royce plc and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is expanding its manufacturing footprint with an investment of £30 million at its facility in Hosur, India.
• Croda is investing over £50 million in setting up a Greenfield speciality chemicals plant at Dahej in Gujarat and the group already operates a world class manufacturing site near Mumbai.
• Northern Ireland-based Lakeland Dairies Foodservice, which currently exports its dairy products to 80+ countries worldwide, announces its entry into the Indian market with its flagship product, ‘Millac Gold’, through their Indian Distribution partners ‘Euro Foods Pvt’. The projected export value for 5 years are in excess of £5 million for the Millac brand from the United Kingdom to India.
• BAPIO Training Academy, a leading organisation in Indo-UK healthcare collaboration has signed business partnerships worth £13 million over 5 years, with multiple Indian hospitals and healthcare providers to develop education, training and capacity building programme for doctors and allied healthcare worker(s) and support the recruitment of over 400 doctors and allied health workers for the UK.
• Buro Happold is expanding rapidly in India and providing world-class infrastructure consultancy to support India’s development, and this expansion is expected to generate employment for approximately 700 people by investing £5mn over the next 3 yrs.
• Poweronics UK has signed a Transfer of Technology agreement with Elventive Tech Pvt Ltd worth £3 million for supplying technology for manufacturing of specialised electronic “High Voltage Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Gate Driver” control cards in India.
• Kent-based Fitworld Company UK Ltd. is launching its premium BRITPRO London nutraceutical and sports supplement range in India, following a £1.94 million export win spread over next 5 years.
• Anpario, a UK based specialist in natural feed additives, is actively expanding its presence in the Indian animal and aquaculture market which led to business of £2 million.
• RedoQ has established its largest operation outside of UK in Kolkata in Jan 2025 with a plan to invest £23.8 million and projected revenue of £25.4 million over the next 5 years.
• Bikal Technologies Partners with Yotta Data Services to Accelerate Global AI Cloud Adoption and develop Global AI capabilities for Asia’s Largest Tier IV Data Centre (2nd Largest Tier IV Data Center in the World). Bikal Technologies has confirmed Export wins of £21.10 million and ODI win of £4.9 million from India totalling £26 million over the next 5 years from this project.
• ARUP, a global leader in aviation, has secured contracts worth £2 million from Indian airport operators for benchmarking, design standards and optimisation services.
• Water Offsets UK has set up a JV company with an Indian company to deliver water conservation and recycling technologies contributing to India’s water security and is projected wins of around £56.4 million over the next five years. The JV will have operational offices in India and the United Kingdom.
• Thor Specialities secured business deals worth £ 45 million for supplying performance chemicals to Indian Paints and Coatings Industry.
• SmartViz Limited is bringing its award winning IoT and AI-powered Realtime Building Analytics and Digital Twin platform to make India’s large infrastructure projects more efficient and sustainable. Working on multiple projects within the Smart Buildings and Smart Cities areas, the company has projected wins worth £5.6 million in the next 3 years.
• Helical Tech has confirmed £ 5.72 million worth new ODI investment to expand its Pune manufacturing facility to make India it’s global supply base.
• Otter Group announces a £2 million ODI to expand its India facility—strengthening its global manufacturing footprint, boosting supply chain resilience, and accelerating growth across key mobility sectors.
• UPL, a leading provider of sustainable agricultural solutions and services will create 150 agricultural R&D apprenticeships over three years in partnership with Harper Adams University in Telford, while also investing £2.5m over 5 years towards the Oxford-India Centre for Sustainable Development at Somerville College, the University of Oxford.
• Smiths Detection sees the overall revenue projection of over £50 million in over next 3 years in Indian aviation security, ports and borders and critical infrastructure market from various customers and is promoting the globally proven aviation security screening technologies like Checkpoint CT for the hand baggage screening at the airports in Indian market for highest standards of safety and security, passenger convenience and operational efficiency of airports.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 July 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy today.

The President began by thanking the Prime Minister for the UK’s continued support for Ukraine, including the sanctions announced earlier this week targeting Russia’s energy revenues, which play a vital part in stopping Putin’s war machine. They agreed international partners must continue to ramp up the pressure on Russia.

The Prime Minister underlined the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine, and the leaders agreed on the importance of the role of independent anti-corruption institutions at the heart of Ukraine’s democracy.

Both leaders underscored that Putin must come to the negotiation table and agree an unconditional ceasefire to see a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

They agreed to keep in touch.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 July 2025.

The Prime Minister met the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, this afternoon.

Discussing Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, the leaders agreed to work closely to stop the spread of malign disinformation and illicit finance, and the Prime Minister underscored the need to sanction those who seek to undermine democracy.

The Prime Minister updated the President on the progress of the Coalition of the Willing, and how all must ensure Ukraine is in the strongest possible position now and going forwards. The leaders discussed the effectiveness of sanctions on stopping Putin’s war machine, and how the international community must ramp up the pressure.

The leaders agreed on the importance of an unconditional ceasefire and the necessity of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

They looked forward to speaking soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 July 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan yesterday evening.

The two leaders looked ahead to today’s International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul, where their Defence Ministers have taken the next step towards signing a multi-billion-pound export deal of UK-built Typhoon jets to Türkiye.

The Prime Minister added that once fully finalised, this enhanced military co-operation will strengthen NATO’s collective defences and keep us safer during uncertain times, as well as sustaining 20,000 UK jobs and driving growth.

Turning to the Middle East, they discussed the intolerable situation in Gaza and underlined the urgent need for more aid and an urgent ceasefire, in order to pave the way for a two-state solution and a secure future for Palestinians and Israelis.

They reiterated their concern about the recent violence in Syria, and agreed that the ceasefire must hold.

The Prime Minister thanked the President for Türkiye’s convening role in the upcoming talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul today, as well as the discussions due to take place on Iran’s nuclear programme later this week.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 July 2025.

The King has been pleased to approve the following appointment:

• Lord Lemos CMG CBE as Lord in Waiting (Government Whip).

Lord Moraes OBE has left the Government.