Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 May 2023.

This joint statement on violence in the north of Kosovo is by France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Joint statement by France, Italy, Germany, the UK and the US:

We condemn Kosovo’s decision to force access to municipal buildings in northern Kosovo despite our call for restraint. We call on Kosovo’s authorities to immediately step back and de-escalate, and to closely coordinate with EULEX and KFOR.

We condemn attacks on EULEX in Zvecan.

We are concerned by Serbia’s decision to raise the level of readiness of its Armed Forces at the border with Kosovo and call all parties for maximum restraint, avoiding inflammatory rhetoric.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 May 2023.

The UK is today (Friday 26 May) announcing a new humanitarian programme in the DRC, which will spend £21 million this year.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 May 2023.

Emma Logan (UK delegation to the OSCE) says that the series of restrictions imposed by the Taliban are effectively erasing women and girls from Afghan society.

Thank you, Mr Chair, for convening us on this important topic at a time when threats to gender equality continue to increase. And I would like to thank our expert panellists for their sobering updates, reminding us of the terrible situation Afghan women face in terms of participation in political and public life.

At the global level, the Global Gender Gap Report 2022 shows that Political Empowerment is the largest remaining gender gap, and it is also the subindex with the widest dispersion among countries. The report says that at the current rate, it will take 155 years to close this Political Empowerment gap. Clearly, speeding up progress to increase women’s meaningful and representative participation in decision making processes is vital, both to enable women to realise their right to full and equal political participation and because women’s political leadership plays a critical role in securing and strengthening democracy. We must get more women into civic and political leadership roles, and we must promote and support women’s rights organisations and movements as a critical part of strengthening the enabling environment for women and girls’ full and equal political participation.

Since August 2021, the Taliban have imposed a series of restrictions effectively erasing women and girls from society. No other country treats its women and girls the way the Taliban do. Their decisions have no grounding in religion and will cause untold damage to the people and country of Afghanistan.

The toll on women and girls’ mental health has been huge. Afghan women self-censor for fear of reprisal, and opportunities for basic human interaction outside of their homes are being curtailed. Underpinning this, is an exclusive power sharing arrangement that excludes anyone but the Taliban from having a say on Afghanistan’s future.

Educated and empowered Afghan women would help Afghanistan by contributing to society, the economy, development and peace across the country – without this, Afghanistan will not achieve stability or prosperity.

The United Kingdom calls on the Taliban to respect international law, and uphold the human rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and ethnic and religious minorities. We will continue to advocate for Afghan-led efforts towards inclusive governance, and remain committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan.

Turning briefly to Ukraine, and with thanks to our Ukrainian speaker, as reported by the UN, many female leaders at all levels have been spearheading the country’s humanitarian response to Russia’s illegal and premeditated invasion, joining the army or leading public service delivery. Female health workers and entrepreneurs are providing essential services and goods to the war-affected population, with women’s organisations on the ground leading humanitarian assistance, advocacy, and public outreach to support their communities.

The bravery of the women of Ukraine in the face of Russian atrocities embodies the resilience and spirit of the Ukrainian people. These mothers, daughters, sisters and protectors of Ukraine demonstrate strength, compassion and integrity in support of the defence and governance of their country, their people and their principles.

Mr Chair, as you and the Secretary General have outlined for us, we can only build a fairer, freer, and safer world if we put women and girls at the heart of the OSCE’s work. Women’s leadership, perspectives and knowledge are essential for local, national and regional progress. At the PC/FSC earlier this year we discussed the issue of Women, Peace and Security, which demonstrated that participating States remain overwhelmingly in favour of the OSCE doing more on this across our region. The UK stands ready to support.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 May 2023.

Mr Richard Porter has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Plurinational State of Bolivia in succession to Mr Jeff Glekin.

Mr Richard Porter has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Plurinational State of Bolivia in succession to Mr Jeff Glekin who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Porter will take up his appointment during September 2023.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Richard Porter

Place of birth: Coulsdon

Spouse: Mr Sidnei Dos Santos

Children: One

Dates	Role
2022	Full Time Language Training (Spanish)
2017 to 2021	Bangkok, Commercial Counsellor
2012 to 2016	São Paulo, First Secretary, Healthcare and Life Sciences
2008 to 2012	Management Consultant, PA Consulting Group
1998 to 2008	London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Paramedic, Duty Manager and Operations Manager

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 May 2023.

At an international conference in Egypt, the Minister of State for International Development committed to supporting the delivery of green finance across Africa.

Minister of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell has committed to supporting the delivery of green finance across Africa at the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Annual Meetings in Egypt.

The Cabinet minister gave a speech at the conference in Sharm el-Sheikh outlining the UK’s commitment to reforming the international financial system so that it can deliver the green finance needed to fight extreme poverty and tackle climate change.

He announced that the $2 billion Room to Run guarantee, which the UK announced at COP26, has unlocked funding for 2 new climate resilient water infrastructure projects in Egypt and Senegal.

Speaking after the visit, Minister Andrew Mitchell said:

Countries across Africa are facing some of the most devastating impacts of climate change but historically have received only a small proportion of the green finance available.

The UK is committed to changing that through our agenda to reform the International Financial System and support for the African Development Bank’s vital work.

Egypt is a close partner for the UK and I was delighted to be able to meet with Ambassador Loza to thank him for Egypt’s support in evacuating British nationals from Sudan.

The project in Egypt, worth almost £70 million, will expand the capacity of a water treatment plant so it can provide clean recycled water to serve 70,000 acres of new arable land, benefiting 5 million more people than at present.

In Senegal, funding worth more than £16 million will support a project to improve access to clean water and sanitation services to 1.45 million people through the creation of more than 13,000 new latrines, 5 surface water treatment plants and a 70-kilometre sewage network which will serve more than 250,000 households.

The minister also met with AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina and counterparts from Ghana, Senegal, Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia to discuss how to ensure that finance from the Bank can reach countries at risk of climate-related disasters more quickly and effectively.

The minister last month set out his new vision for the UK’s international development work, saying the climate and development crises “are not a choice, but 2 sides of the same coin which need to be resolved together”.

Following the conference, the minister also met with a range of counterparts to discuss key regional issues. Meeting with Egypt’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Africa, Ambassador Hamdi Loza, Minister Andrew Mitchell discussed the need for all international parties to work together to seek a swift and effective resolution to the violence in Sudan and thanked the Ambassador for Egypt’s support in the evacuation of British nationals.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 May 2023.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Africa.

Thank you, President, for convening this morning’s debate.

As we mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, let me begin by paying tribute to all those who have contributed to UN peacekeeping over the past 75 years, in particular those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of peace and stability.

I would also like to congratulate all of our colleagues of African descent on this Africa Day.

We welcome the Secretary-General’s 28 April report. I would also like to thank USG DiCarlo, African Union Commissioner Bankole and Ms Tadesse for their statements.

President, the changing nature of conflict in Africa requires both the UN and the AU to adapt their different capabilities to prevent, mitigate and respond to evolving peace and security challenges.

A key one of those challenges at hand is how to address funding gaps and capability shortfalls that have affected performance. Council members have returned to the issue of using UN-assessed contributions to fund AU-led operations a number of times in recent years. The United Kingdom supported the framework set out in resolution 2320, but we recognise that this has not translated into practical support. So how can we make progress? I have three suggestions.

First, since financing for each operation will need to be determined on a case-by-case basis, we must ensure the UN Secretariat supports work to determine options for future operations and that the Security Council has an early role in determining the scope of joint UN-AU assessment and planning.

Second, the AU has made significant progress to determine its compliance framework for international humanitarian law, human rights, conduct and discipline. It must now be applied to new operations effectively. We encourage continued development of these essential compliance frameworks.

Third, we should establish openly and clearly how we intend to share the financial burden between the United Nations and the African Union. Any scope for misinterpretation will cause new initiatives to stall.

President, while the international community has predominantly relied on UN peacekeeping to date, we acknowledge the comparative advantage that AU and other Africa-led peace support operations can offer, with an ability to deploy more rapidly and respond more robustly to certain emerging threats. Threats for which UN peacekeeping operations are not always the appropriate response.

In conclusion, the United Kingdom is committed to working with all countries, particularly our African partners, to develop a working financial mechanism that enables predictable and sustainable support.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 May 2023.

The UK government and European Commission gave a joint statement following the 12th meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights.

Joint statement by the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights between the European Commission and UK government:

The 12th meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights was held on 25 May 2023 in Brussels, co-chaired by officials from the European Commission and the UK government. Representatives from all EU members states were also in attendance. The Committee was established by the Withdrawal Agreement to monitor the implementation and application of the Citizens’ Rights part of the Agreement, which protects EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, and their eligible family members.

The EU and the UK discussed the implementation and application of the Citizens’ Rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement. The meeting also allowed both sides to take stock of outstanding issues.

The EU raised their deep concerns about the EU citizens who received a refusal decision between 27 June 2021 and 19 April 2022 but whose digital status did not accurately reflect this until January 2023, due to the operation of the EU Settlement Scheme. The EU asked for full transparency and clarity on this matter and expressed its disappointment regarding the UK’s plans on recovery of costs of some services and benefits. The EU called on the UK to find a fair approach for affected citizens. The UK outlined the applicable framework, the protections in place for individuals and the need for consistency with the approach taken with UK nationals as well as other EU citizens.

The EU discussed the implementation of the High Court’s ruling on the upgrade from pre-settled status to settled status, and welcomed the preliminary reassurances received from the UK as regards the UK government’s plans to implement the judicial review in accordance with the Withdrawal Agreement. Both sides agreed that correct implementation is crucial for the beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Other issues raised by the EU included the application of temporary protection rules, the calculation of absences and the proportionality assessment, and the effect of imprisonment on acquiring settled status.

The UK raised concerns over the issue of permanent residence within certain member states, specifically, how UK nationals who do not make an application for permanent residence demonstrate their declaratory right of permanent residence when accessing benefits and services.

The UK also highlighted the lack of publicly available guidance on reasonable grounds for making a late application in some member states, highlighting the negative consequences in implementation this creates for UK nationals, and the UK’s open approach.

Other concerns raised by the UK included issues in some member states around property rights for UK nationals, UK nationals demonstrating multiple statuses under the long-term residence directive, and UK nationals with special statuses not being able to access rights guaranteed to them under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Both parties raised future priorities, such as upcoming electronic travel authorisation schemes, funding for civil society or specific challenges faced by children, and discussed mitigation measures needed for UK nationals and EU citizens in the coming years, highlighting their determination to work jointly and constructively on these topics.

The EU and the UK reaffirmed their commitment to protecting citizens’ rights in accordance with the obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement and agreed to meet again in autumn.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 May 2023.

Ambassador Holland voices UK support for the work of OSCE’s Programme Office in Bishkek, including on border security, human rights, and climate change.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 May 2023.

New figures published today show the UK did not import any Russian gas in the 12 months to end of March 2023, while UK gas exports to Europe tripled over the same period.

The UK has gone a full year without importing any Russian gas – in a boost for the country’s energy security and blow to Putin’s war machine.

New figures published today show the UK did not import any Russian gas in the 12 months to end of March 2023, while UK gas exports to Europe tripled over the same period.

It comes as Ofgem announced a reduction in the energy price cap, which will see household bills fall by around £430.

Today’s figures also show renewables generated a record 46.2% of UK electricity from major power producers over the past 3 months. This is up from just 3.5% for the same period in 2010.

The decisive action taken by the UK to ban Russian gas, support European allies and increase the amount of energy generated from renewable sources is helping to kick Putin out of the global energy market and drive down bills.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said:

We have led the world in standing up to Putin’s attempts to use energy as a weapon of war and, by slamming the door shut on Russian gas, we are helping to cripple the Kremlin war machine and safeguard the UK.

It’s positive households across the country will see their energy bills fall by around £430 on average from July, marking a major milestone in our determined efforts to halve inflation.

We spent billions to protect families when prices rose over the winter, covering nearly half a typical household’s energy bill, with wholesale energy prices down by over two thirds since their peak as we’ve neutralised Putin’s blackmail.

I’m relentlessly focused on reducing our reliance on foreign fossil fuels and powering-up Britain from Britain to deliver cheaper, cleaner and more secure energy.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Like his efforts on the battlefield, Putin’s attempts to weaponise energy supplies are failing.

Thanks to the steps we and our allies have taken, including to fast-forward the clean energy transition and on energy efficiency, Russian energy revenue continues to be dented and global prices have also fallen.

Our support for Ukraine will not waver. We will continue to undermine Putin’s ability to wage war, including by cracking down on the circumvention of our sanctions.

Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine had a devastating effect on global energy markets, forcing up wholesale prices and with it the energy bills of households and businesses in the UK and around the world.

In response, the government took swift action to shield consumers and companies from the worst effects, paying around half a typical household’s bill over the winter and half the wholesale energy costs paid by some businesses.

The Powering Up Britain plan published in March set out the UK’s ambitious plans to scale up affordable, clean, homegrown power and build thriving green industries – boosting the country’s energy security and independence and reducing household bills for the long term.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 May 2023.

Ambassador Neil Holland says that Ukraine must be able to secure peace on their own terms. Russian aggression cannot be rewarded.