Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 January 2024.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on International Peace and Security.

Thank you President, and I think USG DiCarlo for her briefing.

At the outset, President, let me express our full support for your handling of the Presidency. I do find it ironic that while the Russian representative chooses to lecture France on UN rules, as he has frequently lectured the UK on our organisation of meetings, his country continues to commit arguably the most egregious and flagrant violation of the UN Charter in this institution’s history.

President, the UK regrets all loss of human life, wherever it occurs.

We fully support Ukraine’s calm and measured response to this aircraft incident and agree that there is an urgent need to establish the facts, as President Zelenskyy has said.

Whilst it is too early to draw conclusions, one thing is clear: when President Putin made the decision to illegally invade Ukraine, he demonstrated his total disregard for the value of human life, including his own citizens. We would not be in this position, and incidents like this would not happen, if it were not for Russia’s full-scale illegal invasion in February 2022.

A sovereign, independent Ukraine did not and does not pose a threat to Russia. Ukrainians want and deserve to live in peace and security, and without interference from their largest neighbour.

Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost in this war, including over 300,000 Russian soldiers dead and injured, and tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians killed.

Soon this pointless conflict will have lasted for two years. Russia can choose to end the bloodshed. It can withdraw all its military personnel from the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine. And, as a permanent member of this Council, it can uphold purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 January 2024.

Ambassador Neil Holland thanks Malta for stepping into this critical role and reaffirms the UK’s commitment to the OSCE which must continue to hold Russia to account in its war of aggression against Ukraine.

Minister Borg, on behalf of the UK, I warmly welcome you to the Permanent Council and express our sincere gratitude for the herculean efforts from you and your team, to step in as Chair in Office 2024.  Thank you for outlining your priorities for this year.

The UK remains a strong and committed participating State of the OSCE.  My Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, made this clear at the Ministerial Council in Skopje in December, and has since repeated our commitment.  You can count on the UK as you lead the organisation through what will doubtless be another challenging year.

We wholeheartedly welcome your continued focus on Ukraine, which must remain at the top of the OSCE agenda until Russia changes its actions, completely withdraws from Ukraine and faithfully complies with the OSCE’s founding principles and instruments. We find ourselves at 700 days since Russia’s unprovoked, illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which is causing immense devastation to the people of Ukraine. Our response needs to be one of strength, resilience and unity. Now is the time to double down on our support so Ukraine not only wins the war, but emerges from it as a strong, sovereign, and free country. Russia’s efforts to undermine global stability must and will be stopped in its tracks. If we allow Russia to lay waste to this stability, the risks to the OSCE region, and the world, are grave.  We will continue to support the OSCE structures which contribute towards a peaceful resolution and to bringing accountability for the abuses – across the OSCE’s three dimensions – which the people of Ukraine have endured.

The UK was mentioned by my esteemed Russian colleague as waging hybrid war against Russia.  This is nonsense. The only war being waged in Ukraine is by Russia against Ukraine. And to categorise UK support for Ukraine to defend itself against a brutal onslaught in this way is another example of the sort of disinformation that we see so often in this forum. The UK is committed to supporting Ukraine to protect itself and will continue to offer unwavering support to Ukraine until it prevails – as it inevitably will.

The UK also supports efforts to ensure peaceful resolutions to the protracted conflicts in Georgia and Moldova, including through the valuable work of the Mission to Moldova. Field missions strengthen stability and governance in the OSCE region, including the Western Balkans and Central Asia – they are a direct, on the ground demonstration of OSCE principles and commitments.

The UK strongly welcomes the 7 December Joint Statement from Armenia and Azerbaijan. The intention to normalise relations, and to reach a peace treaty on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, was a truly historic moment.  We now encourage both parties to seize the opportunity to reach a lasting peace agreement to finally end the decades-long conflict and bring regional stability to the South Caucasus.

We welcome your desire to ensure a resilient organisation.  You demonstrated this clearly by stepping into the role of CiO.  We know that you are already working on agreement of a unified budget for 2024 and considering how to reach agreement on the leadership of the OSCE. We stand ready to play our part in reaching consensus on these decisions.

We also welcome your support for the autonomous institutions. UK support for the Third Dimension will remain steadfast.  In this year of elections and against the growth of authoritarianism globally, it is more important than ever to uphold the OSCE’s founding commitments on democracy and human rights. Media freedom underpins our shared, regional security; we look forward to working closely with you on this agenda too.

We welcome your cross-dimensional approach on other thematic issues – digital security and artificial intelligence, gender and youth, and the security implications of climate change matter to our populations and are closely linked to our OSCE commitments.

Minister Borg, thank you once again for taking on this responsibility at such short notice. Malta can count on the UK’s strong support.  We wish you and your very capable teams here in Vienna and in Valletta all the best for your time as Chair-in-Office.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 January 2024.

Joint statement on the 125th Anniversary of Official Diplomatic Relations between the State of Kuwait & the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

This week marks 125 years since our two countries signed the Anglo-Kuwaiti Agreement of 1899, launching official diplomatic relations between the State of Kuwait and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Believing in the importance of celebrating this landmark, our respective Governments have jointly agreed to declare 2024 the Year of the Kuwaiti-British Partnership, as per the agreement signed on 29 August 2023, in the margins of the visit of His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, then Crown Prince, to the United Kingdom.

The close and deep-rooted relationship between our two countries has grown steadily over the past century and a quarter. We have supported each other to tackle regional and global challenges, and to defend and promote our common values.

The Year of the Kuwaiti-British Partnership is an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the past 125 years, such as our historic investment relationship, underpinned by the Kuwait Investment Office’s 70-year presence in the City of London, and our collaboration to defend Kuwait’s sovereignty and territorial integrity during the First Gulf War. We will also seek to enhance current and future cooperation through high-level visits, events and initiatives, such as cultural exchanges and education programmes. Both Governments are committed to continuing to broaden and deepen our friendship, and ensuring the special ties between our two peoples continue to grow for another 125 years.

Key areas of focus for cooperation will include trade and investment, defence, cyber security, education, culture, and international development. Foreign Ministers will meet for our Strategic Dialogue, while other senior visits will support this cooperation, and drive forward collaboration on key foreign policy issues which underpin our mutual security and prosperity, as well as on the shared challenges and opportunities that are emerging in our ever-changing world.

Both countries are eagerly awaiting the rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme to Kuwaiti Nationals in February. This will strengthen further our people-to-people ties by making it easier than ever before to travel to the UK. We also look forward to building on existing cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and defence, including the United Kingdom’s work to help establish the National Cyber Security Center in Kuwait, and to reinforcing long-standing ties between our two countries.

The State of Kuwait and the United Kingdom renew their commitment to continue strengthening cooperation for the benefit of our two friendly peoples and the wider world.

Commenting on this landmark occasion, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, British Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia, UN and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, stated:

I am delighted that we are celebrating this the 125th year of the Kuwaiti-British Partnership. The UK cherishes its close bond with Kuwait and is excited by the opportunity this special year presents to both reflect on our shared history and enhance future cooperation across a range of fields. On a personal note, I am very much looking forward to visiting Kuwait next month for the purpose of co-chairing the twentieth Kuwait-UK Joint Steering Group alongside my good friend His Excellency Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait – and to taking part in further ‘125’ events and initiatives throughout 2024. I have every confidence that our extraordinary ties will continue to grow for another century and a quarter and beyond.

His Excellency Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait added:

Kuwait is proud of its exceptional and historic relations with the United Kingdom, and determined to build on all we have achieved over the past 125 years, including through His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s, historic visit to London in August of last year as an official Guest of His Majesty’s Government. Both countries are looking forward to launching various activities and exchanging high-level visits throughout 2024, with the aim of strengthening both official and people-to-people relations between us.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 January 2024.

UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Putin’s disastrous military campaign has diplomatically diminished Russia as it turns to North Korea and Iran.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 January 2024.

The UK and Qatar are working together to get more aid into Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary has announced that the UK and Qatar are working together to get more aid into Gaza, with our first joint consignment containing 17 tonnes of family sized tents being flown today [Thurs 25th].

On the visit, the Foreign Secretary will witness first-hand both the UK and Qatar’s humanitarian aid being loaded onto a plane destined for Egypt, after which it will go by road to Gaza. The tents will provide critical shelter for people and are desperately needed, as more families are displaced by the conflict and a cold winter continues.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

The scale of suffering in Gaza is unimaginable. More must be done, faster, to help people trapped in this desperate situation. We have trebled our assistance for Gaza, and cooperation with partners like Qatar is helping move life-saving aid and equipment over the border to those living in devastation.

But our efforts will only make a difference if aid gets to those who need it most, which is why we need more access for UN staff. As I said to PM Netanyahu yesterday, far more trucks need to be able to enter Gaza and more crossings need to open. We need an immediate humanitarian pause to get aid in and hostages out, followed by a sustainable ceasefire, without a return to hostilities.

The UK has trebled its assistance and is continuing working with partners like Qatar to provide life-saving aid and equipment.

With reports of 9 out of 10 people in Gaza living on less than a meal a day in northern Gaza, our focus must be on practical solutions to save lives.

The Foreign Secretary pushed Israeli leaders for Ashdod to be used for the delivery of life-saving aid into Gaza on his visit to the region. The UK and its partners efforts can only make a difference if they can reach those in urgent need.

Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza including allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more routes into Gaza and fully restoring water, fuel and electricity supplies.

The Foreign Secretary’s Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Mark Bryson-Richardson, is based in the region and is working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 January 2024.

The Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron met the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem.

The Foreign Secretary reiterated UK support for Israel’s efforts to secure the release of the 136 hostages from Gaza after the barbaric Hamas attack of 7 October. The Foreign Secretary explained that he wants to see an immediate humanitarian pause to get hostages out and aid in, leading to a sustainable ceasefire without a return to hostilities. To enable this, Hamas must agree to the release of all hostages, they could no longer be in charge in Gaza firing rockets at Israel, and an agreement must be in place for the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza to provide governance, services and security.

The Foreign Secretary underlined the need for a political strategy to achieve long term peace.  This must be based on a credible and irreversible pathway to achieve a Palestinian State alongside Israel, allowing Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.

They discussed the urgency of getting significantly more aid into Gaza to alleviate the desperate situation there. The Foreign Secretary reiterated the need for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza, for Nitzana and Kerem Shalom to be open for longer, and for Israel to support the UN to distribute aid effectively across the whole of Gaza. The Foreign Secretary also underlined the need for Israel to ensure effective deconfliction in Gaza, and to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of medical personnel and facilities.

The Foreign Secretary also met Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, and Minister without Portfolio Benny Gantz whilst in Jerusalem, and Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 January 2024.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the first session of the Preparatory Committee of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 January 2024.

The UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley, delivered a statement during Mauritius’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 January 2024.

The United Kingdom announces a further £5 million of support for the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) to provide non-lethal support to Somali Security Forces.

• UK announces a further £5 million of support for the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).
• The funding will be used to provide non-lethal support to Somali Security Forces in their fight against al-Shabaab, including communications equipment, shelter and medevac assistance.

The United Kingdom (UK) Government has allocated a further £5 million in funding for the United Nations Support Office in Somalia through the UNSOS Trust Fund. The UNSOS Trust Fund provides non-lethal support to the Somali Security Forces (SSF) in their fight against al-Shabaab. This reinforces the UK’s commitment to enhancing the capabilities of the SSF to ensure the safety and security of Somalia and the wider region.

The Trust Fund, administered by UNSOS, plays a crucial role in providing non-lethal logistical support to the SSF, including vital resources such as rations, tents and lifesaving medevac assistance. The Trust Fund currently supports 14,900 Somali National Army and 1,000 Somali National Police forces and with the support of contributing countries like the UK is aiming to boost support to 18,900 SSF.

Continued support to troops will not only contribute to the ongoing counter-terrorism efforts against al-Shabaab but also facilitate the further development of the SSF’s capability through provision of logistical support such as fuel and rations but also the materials to set up forward operating bases (‘field defence stores’). Communications equipment will also be provided to increase the operational readiness and effectiveness of the SSF.

Increasing the capability of the SSF is an essential component of the ongoing security transition process in Somalia, which has seen the SSF take on greater responsibility for ensuring national security and stability. The UK remains a steadfast supporter of the transition process and a committed partner in Somalia’s fight against terror.

British Ambassador to Somalia, Mike Nithavrianakis, said of the new funding:

This latest round of support from the UK will make a vital difference to Somali Security Forces who are working tirelessly to defeat violent extremists like al-Shabaab and restore stability in Somalia and the region.

The UK will continue working side by side with the Federal Government of Somalia and other partners to ensure a safe and secure future for all Somalis. We go far when we go together.

The Commander of the Somalia National Army, Major General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhuddin, welcomed the announcement of this additional contribution from the UK.

He outlined the importance of consistent support in this transition period as SSF take over forward operating bases from ATMIS whilst also being on the offensive against al-Shabaab:

We welcome the trust placed in the Somali Security Forces, including the Somalia National Army, and the practical support to peace and security in Somalia.

Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of UNSOS, expressed gratitude for the UK’s continued support, emphasising its significant impact on bolstering the capabilities of the Somali Security Forces. Kacyira highlighted the UK as a central and dedicated donor to the Trust Fund enabling UNSOS to support the logistical priorities of Somalia Security Forces.

She reaffirmed UNSOS’s commitment to providing essential logistical support to the Somali Government, supporting its endeavours to establish a stable and secure Somalia.

This new UK funding follows a substantial contribution of £5 million in December 2023. Since 2022 the UK has given over £20m of voluntary contributions in support of UNSOS, supporting a safer Somalia and going far, together.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 January 2024.

The UK delivered a statement during Nigeria’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Mr Vice-President, and we warmly welcome His Excellency the Minister of Justice of Nigeria to today’s Review.

The UK acknowledges Nigeria’s progress on human rights since its last Review, and welcomes Nigeria’s commitment to investigating allegations of human rights violations by security forces, which should be conducted robustly and transparently and ensure perpetrators are held to account.

We recommend that Nigeria:

1. Protect civilians and ensure all violations of International Humanitarian Law and all human rights violations or abuses are fully investigated, ensuring accountability when civilians are unlawfully killed.
2. Ensure that the human rights of those accused of blasphemy are protected and ensure accountability for related mob killings.
3. Enact further legislation to strengthen the rights of women, including the five bills it has committed to re-introducing, and increase women’s political participation and promote gender equality.

Thank you.