Tag: Foreign Office

PRESS RELEASE : Without a mandate 4.1 million people in north-west Syria are living in limbo not knowing if food and medicines will reach them – UK statement at the Security Council [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Syria.

I’d like to start by thanking Special Envoy Pedersen for your briefing and also Director Rajasingham for your briefing and for the work of your teams on the ground.

Two weeks ago, Russia vetoed the nine-year old UN mandate to provide humanitarian assistance to the 4.1 million people in need in north-west Syria.

Those 4.1 million people are now living in a limbo, not knowing if food and medicines will reach them in the coming weeks and months. In those two weeks, as we’ve heard, not a single truck has crossed the Bab Al-Hawa crossing, where 85% of UN assistance previously transited. Not one truck.

Because, although Syria says they have given the UN permission, the conditions that Assad has set out make it unsafe to do so. And the UN has been clear that the conditions Syria has set out are inoperable and unworkable.

They also undermine OCHA’s neutrality, impartiality and independence. The crossings the UN now has to use instead at Bab Al-Salam and Bab Al Ra’ee are currently open only for another 21 days and not set up for the capacity that was crossing at Bab al-Hawa.

I myself saw on the 8th of June when I was there 60 trucks crossing and that contrasts to the 18 trucks that the UN has managed to get across in the last week.

So Russia and Syria’s claims that they are driven purely by humanitarian considerations is simply not supported by the facts on the ground.

The north-west of Syria is an active conflict zone where all parties, including the Regime and Russia, continue to launch attacks with civilians caught in the crossfire.

The United Kingdom supports the ongoing discussions between the UN and Syria to lift its conditions and let the aid flow.

It’s critical that humanitarian access is negotiated with all conflict actors and that aid reaches the most vulnerable according to humanitarian principles. The lack of a Council mandate affects longer-term early recovery work as well that this Council has agreed is essential across Syria.

So we continue to believe that action by this Council, with politics set aside, is the best way to ensure access continues to those who need it. In the meantime, we urge Syria to live up to its obligations under international law and engage with the UN in good faith.

Ultimately, the people of Syria and the wider region need a sustainable end to this conflict in line with Security Council Resolution 2254. So we encourage a resumption of constitutional committee talks in Geneva without further delay and without further excuses.

26/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : WTO Trade Negotiations Committee 2023 – UK statement [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2023.

UK Ambassador to the WTO in Geneva, Simon Manley, spoke on subjects, including the 13th Ministerial Conference, at the Trade Negotiations Committee.

Thank you very much and best wishes to the Colombia delegation for their Independence Day. Thank you very much to Anabel and Didier for all your contributions over so many years to this organisation. We are now all intrigued as to what Didier is really going to do; what is the project to which he is going to be released to say everything he has been meaning to say for years! Thank you also to the DG [Director General] for setting the scene so well this morning.

I’ll start with where we want to finish, and think where we want to be in Abu Dhabi next February/early March. We know about some of the issues, not only within the organisation, but also outside which will impact our Ministers’ views and their expectations as they come to Abu Dhabi.

We know that, sadly, we are going to be in a crisis of food insecurity, which has, to be honest, been worsened this week by Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the subsequent threats to civilian shipping in and around Ukraine.

We know that we are going to be in an environmental crisis; probably the hottest year on record. We will be meeting in Abu Dhabi on the back of COP28.

We know that we are going to be meeting at a time of economic uncertainty for so many of the Members of this organisation.

So we need to think about the expectations of our Ministers. And we work our way back from Abu Dhabi in a way that is purposeful, and thank you [DG], for setting out so clearly your sense of the process going forward.

The most important thing for us to avoid doing over the coming weeks and months leading up to the Senior Officials Meeting is discussing what our officials should discuss, rather than actually doing the hard work of negotiating with our partners to actually achieve the substantive negotiations that our Ministers and senior officials and, most of all, our businesses and consumers, our workers, are expecting us to be doing.

There will be a couple of things for us to celebrate in Abu Dhabi. That’s a good thing. We know that we will be able to celebrate what we have achieved in the last couple of weeks on the Investment Facilitation for Development. But we have hard work to do over the Autumn with colleagues. We know we all hope to achieve something on Dispute Settlement. It is hard for our Ministers to come to Abu Dhabi and walk away without agreeing something on Dispute Settlement. We would have a hard job, all of us, explaining to our Ministers, our public and our media, if we were not able to achieve something.

I was very struck by the comments by the Africa Group, presented by Cameroon, to agree something on food security which is actually meaningful. That might actually make a difference to increasing food security. We have tried to make a modest contribution to that on export restrictions which we think is part of the policy mix; others have other suggestions. I think it is really good that our distinguished Chair of CoASS [Committee of Agriculture in Special Session] is now equipped with so many proposals on the table that we can really look at in detail.

We need to come away from Abu Dhabi with real progress on fisheries. First of all, we have to ratify the agreement and provide support for the implementation. We are certainly on the case, if not quite as swiftly as some of us might wish. Let me pay tribute to the Chair of the fisheries negotiations as to the way in which they are being dealt with. As he kindly said, we have put down a proposal today that tries to capture some of the really useful ideas that a whole number of delegations have made in those first weeks. But of course there is some hard work to be done in the Autumn in those fisheries negotiations.

E-commerce is really important for a number of reasons. A number of us were at the JAG (Joint Advisory Group of the International Trade Centre) and I was struck by how vital digital trade is to the work they do to enable MSMEs [Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises] in the developing world to reap the benefits of global trade. I do think that it is incumbent upon us to ensure that we are enabling digital trade, not disabling it. It plays a really important role.

Similarly, an agreement on LDC [Least Developed Country] graduation is important and we need to do the hard work on that over the coming weeks to get a deal on that. Similarly we need to sort the long-term future of the Enhanced Integrated Framework. My delegation is on the case with recipients and donors.

Those are all decisions, one way or another, that we need to take by Abu Dhabi. But we also know we need to set an agenda for ourselves for the years ahead. We have a lot of work where we should have made more progress. There are a number of issues where we need to be doing more; where they are not sufficiently on our agenda. We need to be thinking ahead for an organisation in the 2020s, and looking ahead to the 2030s. That agenda that you have set out DG; as trade being green and inclusive, services that are digital. We need to equip ourselves for that. We need to ensure that gets done. So there is a lot of work to do. We need real clarity on how are going to do that.

We need to come back from our summer holidays in September, and as others have said, there is not much time. Not a lot of meetings, either formal meetings, or GC [General Councils] or Senior Official Meeting.

So less discussion about discussion and more negotiation about how we can bring ourselves closer to substantive agreements, in what we hope, will be a successful MC13 [13th Ministerial Conference] in Abu Dhabi.

26/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : FCDO statement on Cambodian elections [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2023.

The FCDO has issued a statement following elections in Cambodia.

An FCDO spokesperson said:

The UK is a long-term partner in Cambodia’s prosperity and stability, and believes progress in these areas is best sustained through a democratic political culture that supports open discussion of diverse perspectives.

Democratic elections depend on credible, open, and fair competition. We regret that these elections were preceded by a narrowing of the political space, including the disqualification of the main opposition Candlelight Party earlier this year, resulting in an election that was neither free nor fair. The UK views this as a missed opportunity to strengthen Cambodia’s democracy.

The UK remains committed to supporting efforts to enhance democratic processes and civic space in Cambodia, and to supporting the people of Cambodia.

26/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK backs £680m loan guarantee for new high-speed electric railway in Turkey [July 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2023.

UK government backing enables completion of a 286km electric railway in southern Turkey, connecting major cities with a high-speed, lower-carbon route.
- €781m support unlocked by UK Export Finance – equivalent to £680m – will enable Rönesans Holding to finish construction of a high-speed electrified railway connecting Mersin with the cities of Adana, Osmaniye and Gaziantep
- Offering a lower-emission transport link between Turkey’s second-largest container port and inland cities over 150 miles away, the railway is expected to reduce CO2e emissions by over 150,000 tonnes a year
- UKEF’s backing creates multimillion-pound export contract opportunities for UK suppliers to the rail sector
UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK government’s export credit agency, has underwritten €781m of financing – equivalent to £680m – to support construction of a 286km high-speed electric railway in southern Turkey.

With financing provided through UKEF’s Buyer Credit Facility, Rönesans Holding will finish construction of the Mersin-Adana-Gaziantep High Speed Railway on behalf of the Turkish Ministry of Transport.

The deal is expected to create new, multimillion-pound export contract opportunities for the UK’s infrastructure, engineering and project management sectors, supporting the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the UK economy.

This signals key future opportunities for UK exporters, with Rönesans Holding – one of Europe’s ten largest construction companies – intending to use the high-speed rail project to build its wider relationships with the UK supply chain.

Lord Offord, Minister for Exports, said:

The UK-Turkey trading relationship is going from strength to strength. Last year, UK exports to Turkey reached £8.5 billion, and this week we announced plans for an updated trade deal that will further boost exports and imports between our countries.

UK Export Finance’s backing for this transformative high-speed railway adds to this success story. This deal shows that the UK, home to the world’s first railway system, still moves full steam ahead with its export of railroad innovation and expertise.

UKEF’s backing – which has been given on the condition that UK exporters supply to the project – will support continued economic growth in the UK, in line with the government’s priorities; Rönesans Holding has already engaged with UK suppliers to negotiate contracts for electronic infrastructure, ESG consultancy services, catenary and mechanical components.

UKEF worked in partnership with J.P. Morgan, ING Bank and BNP Paribas, who provided the loan, as well as SACE and OeKB – the Italian and Austrian export credit agencies providing reinsurance – to secure this landmark deal for Turkish rail infrastructure.

Dr. Erman Ilıcak, President of Rönesans Holding, said:

We’re thrilled to be working with UKEF, JP Morgan, ING and BNP to secure a deal that will enable a landmark shift in the Turkish construction of rail links and the high-speed railway project.

By upgrading the existing railway line to a high standard railway line, we will be actively reducing negative environmental impact while offering a lower-carbon travel alternative and significantly enhancing the region’s industrial connectivity and trade. Rönesans Holding takes immense pride in contributing to Turkey’s national environmental goals and infrastructure advancement.

Our fruitful collaboration with British Exporters has secured €781m in financing for the transformative high-speed electrified railway in southern Turkey, adding tremendous value to the cooperation between Türkiye and UK exports and services while paving the way for exciting global partnerships.

John Meakin, Global Head of Export and Agency Finance at J.P. Morgan, said:

This project is expected to reduce traffic congestion on the motorways and promote more sustainable transportation in the region. We are honoured to have the responsibility to deliver the financing for this impactful project while supporting UK exporters providing goods, services and notable technical expertise.

In replacing the current railway, which relies on diesel locomotives, the electrified line will provide a lower-carbon alternative to existing routes between Mersin and Gaziantep. Project forecasts suggest that the completed route will save 157,000 tonnes in CO2e emissions in its first year alone.

The UKEF-backed project will also contribute directly to Turkey’s objective of increasing high-speed railway coverage to 10,000km, by creating a rail link greater than the distance between Cardiff and London.

Able to carry trains travelling up to 200 km/h, this transport link is a major step forwards for regional infrastructure and growth. The high-speed railway will reduce the travel time from Gaziantep – via regional cities Adana and Osmaniye – to Mersin by four hours; Mersin is the second largest container port in the country and a thriving city of over one million people.

Treasury and Finance Minister for Türkiye, Mehmet Şimşek, said:

Mersin, Adana and Gaziantep are among the highly industrialised and important cities of the region with their deep-rooted cultural heritage. This project will ensure a reduction of transportation costs, decrease travel time between Mersin and Gaziantep and strengthen our railway connectivity.

In this regard, this project is crucial for economic, social and environmental integration. We are very grateful to our trading partner UKEF for their contribution to this important project, which will expand the national railway network.

The most important aim of the project is to improve the rail connectivity and create a sustainable alternative transportation scheme in Türkiye. We look forward to continuing our fruitful collaboration with new projects on the way of development of Türkiye.

Gaziantep, the railway’s eastern terminus, was near the epicentre of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck Turkey in February 2023. The UKEF-backed project for completing this railway will also contribute to reconstruction in Gaziantep, Osmaniye and other areas of southern Turkey severely damaged in this disaster.
26/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Pacific delegation to visit Lionesses at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 July 2023.

A group of leading Pacific female football players and officials arrive in Sydney this week for a special sports diplomacy programme linked to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.

Lead officials in women’s sport from Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa, will have access to a training session with the England Women’s Football team at the home of the Central Coast Mariners in Gosford.

The delegation will receive briefings on coaching, nutrition and women’s sport development, and host a session at Central Coast Sports College. The UK government is sponsoring the visit as part of our partnership with the Pacific.

British High Commissioner Vicki Treadell will meet with the delegation, who will be hosted in Australia by Nicola Noble, UK Deputy High Commissioner to Fiji. The delegation will also meet with UK Sports Minister Stuart Andrew.

Vicki Treadell, UK High Commissioner to Australia said:

I am delighted to have this amazing Pacific group with us. The UK continue to champion all aspects of women’s sport around the world.

We are committed to removing barriers to participation amongst women and girls, raising the profile of women’s sport, and ensuring women are fairly represented at all levels across the sector.

Nicola Noble, UK Deputy High Commissioner to Fiji said:

I’m delighted to host our Pacific delegation in Australia for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Sport is a unifying force across the Pacific and we have a fantastic programme of activity for our visitors this week.

Ileen Pegi Moffat, Captain of the Solomon Islands National Women’s Football Team said:

This is an opportunity worth sharing with the Solomon Islands National Women’s Football team after our visit.

But also, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us on a personal level, having to train alongside the Lionesses.

British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and Nauru, Thomas Coward met the two delegates from Solomon Islands at their training in Honiara over the weekend, congratulating them for the opportunity.

Among other leading Pacific football players and officials, both the Solomon Islands delegates will spend one week in Australia to join the Lionesses training camp and have the opportunity to witness them take on Denmark in their Group D Match on Friday 28 July.

The senior team captain and vice-captain of the Solomon Islands Women’s National Football team, Ms Pegi and Solo will then return to Honiara on Saturday 29 July 2023.

26/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s latest Black Sea Grain Initiative demands are tantamount to holding the world’s starving hostage – UK statement at the Security Council [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 July 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

I’d like to start by thanking USG DiCarlo and USG Griffiths for their briefings.

Colleagues, my Foreign Secretary said on Monday that Russia’s termination of the BSGI [Black Sea Grain Initiative] was taking food out of the mouths of the poorest people across the world.

64% of the 34 million tonnes of grain exported under the deal went to low- and middle-income countries. Unsurprisingly then, Kenya called Russia’s withdrawal a “stab in the back” of countries in the Horn of Africa already impacted by drought.

Russian missile attacks on Odessa, Chornomorsk and Mykolaiv destroyed over 60,000 tons of grain. That is enough to feed 270,000 people for a year or to double WFP [World Food Programme] shipments under the BSGI to both Sudan and Somalia. Russia has destroyed dock equipment, making it harder to load grain on ships.

Now, Russia has gone further, burning food at the dockside, and making threats to murder civilian sailors.

There is no possible justification for these punitive acts.

Moreover, Russia has benefitted from the Deal. Russian food exports are significantly above pre-war levels. Russian food and fertiliser exports have never been sanctioned. The UK has worked with its banking and insurance sectors to facilitate transactions. And the UN has worked tirelessly to address Russian concerns.

We know that Russia’s so-called reasons for ending the Deal are nonsense.

Ukraine has made no demands. As Foreign Minister Kuleba said in this room, Ukraine wants nothing more than to make its food available to the world. Up to 24 million tons of Ukrainian food may not now reach world markets because of Russia.

Russia’s actions have already raised prices, with immediate impact on the world’s poorest and hungriest people.

And Russia’s latest demands are tantamount to holding the world’s starving hostage.

We thank Türkiye, the UN and Ukraine for their efforts to protect the deal. We call on Russia to rejoin it and to end the war.

Food is not a weapon.

26/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK statement on Qur’an burning in Stockholm [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 July 2023.

FCDO spokesperson statement issued on 21 July on Qur’an burning in Stockholm.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said:

The burning and desecration of the Qur’an in Stockholm is deeply insulting to Muslims around the world and completely inappropriate. We denounce hatred on the basis of religion or belief. We will defend freedom of religion or belief for all, and promote mutual respect. We recognise the deep suffering experienced by Muslims around the world caused by the burning of the Qur’an.

26/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK Minister’s visit to Turkmenistan strengthens bilateral ties [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 July 2023.

UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Leo Docherty MP, reiterates the UK’s commitment to a stable, secure and prosperous Central Asia during visit to Turkmenistan.

UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Europe and Central Asia, Leo Docherty MP, visited Turkmenistan on 5 July 2023. Minister Docherty conducted several high-level meetings at the Cabinet of Ministers and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During a meeting with Vice Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Meredov, the two men signed a Protocol of Intentions to deepen bilateral relations between the UK and Turkmenistan.

Minister Docherty, said:

I have had a warm and productive meeting with Mr Meredov. We discussed how the UK and Turkmenistan can and are working together to address the global challenges that face us, in particular climate change.

Minister Docherty also met with the Vice Premier responsible for Agriculture and Minster of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan. This meeting identified opportunities for co-operation between the two countries on the reduction of methane emissions and other ways to work towards a more sustainable future.

This was the first UK Ministerial visit to Turkmenistan since 2015 and also Minister Docherty’s first visit to the country. The visit was a sign of the growing relationship between the United Kingdom and Turkmenistan, exemplified by the construction of the new British Embassy building in Ashgabat.

At the end of the visit, Minister Docherty thanked the government of Turkmenistan for its warm hospitality and said:

I visited the Memorial Complex to see the monuments to the 1948 earthquake and the heroes of the battle of Gokdepe. I also paid tribute to those from both our countries who died in the fight against Nazism. It reminded me that there is more that unites us than divides us.

Minister Docherty also visited the National Carpet Museum and the Akhal Teke horses at the state stud farm.

26/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Anniversary of the downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine – UK statement to the OSCE [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 July 2023.

Ambassador Neil Holland marks the 9th anniversary of the downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine and the deaths of 298 people.

This year marked the anniversary of the downing of Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine and the deaths of 298 people from 17 countries, including 10 British nationals. The United Kingdom expresses its deepest condolences to all those who lost their loved ones.

The United Kingdom reiterates its full support for the efforts to pursue truth, justice and accountability, and to provide answers for the friends and families of those who so tragically died. We are grateful in particular for the work and dedication of the Joint Investigation Team.

The conclusion of the trial in the Netherlands last November, and the conviction of three individuals of murder in relation to the downing of MH17, was an important step in securing justice for the families of the victims. However, this process has not finished.

The downing of MH17 was a shocking violation of the international norms which keep our societies safe. It serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of Russia’s actions in Ukraine over many years.

The United Kingdom continues to support the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Australia in their call for the Russian Federation to accept State responsibility for the downing of MH17 and to cooperate fully with all efforts to establish accountability, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2166.

Thank you, Chair.

26/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New visa requirement for Namibian nationals visiting the UK [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 July 2023.

The UK Government announced on 19 July 2023 that, with immediate effect, all Namibian nationals will need a visa before travelling to the UK, including to visit.

The decision to impose a visa regime has been made because of the sustained and significant increase since 2016, in the number of UK asylum applications from Namibian nationals at the UK border. This constitutes an abuse of the provision to visit the UK for a limited period as non-visa nationals.

The changes, which come into effect immediately, will apply to all Namibian nationals travelling to the UK. However, there will be a four-week transition period until 15:00 BST on 16 August 2023. During this period, Namibian nationals holding confirmed tickets booked before 19 July 2023 will still be permitted to travel to the UK as a non-visa national.

British High Commissioner to Namibia, Charles Moore, said:

I fully understand that the imposition of a visa regime will be of concern to the many Namibian nationals, who we warmly welcome to visit the United Kingdom as genuine visitors. Unfortunately, the significant increase in asylum claims from Namibian nationals on arrival at the UK border has made it necessary for us to implement these new measures.

We have regularly discussed the increase in asylum applications with the Government of the Republic of Namibia, and continue to work jointly on returning those Namibian nationals who are ultimately determined to be ineligible for asylum in the United Kingdom.

The announced changes bring Namibia into line with many other visa national countries, including many Commonwealth partners, with whom the UK has warm and friendly relations. Visas provide access to the UK while helping to secure the UK border by preventing abuse of the non-visa provision.

The UK Government has increased capacity at the Visa Application Centre in Windhoek to accommodate the processing of visitor visa applications in Namibia. Visa applications are submitted and paid for online at www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-uk, after which applicants book an appointment to provide their biometrics and hand over their passport.

The UK Government aims to process applications within 15 UK working days of receipt of the passport and biometrics. Applicants can apply up to 3 months in advance of travel.

The cost of a six-month multiple entry visa for the UK can be found at: Visa fees – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Longer validity visas are also available.

Namibian nationals who booked travel to the UK before 15:00 BST on 19 July 2023 will still be eligible to travel to the UK without a visa until 15:00 BST on 16 August 2023. Any passengers arriving after 15:00 BST on 16 August 2023 will require a visa to enter the UK, regardless of when their travel was booked. Anyone booking their flight after 15:00 BST on 19 July 2023 will also need a visa, regardless of when they will arrive in the UK.

Namibian visitors already in the UK will not be affected by these changes but, once they leave the UK, they will need a visitor visa in order to make any future visit. Namibian nationals are already required to obtain a visa for other (non-visit) purposes, such as to work or study. Applicants for student or other visas will continue to be able to apply for these visas in Namibia, as they have done previously.

26/07/2023