Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2023.

Ministers from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a Senior Economic Dialogue in Seoul on 12 May 2023.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 12 May 2023.

The UK and Kenya have signed a new security compact to keep our two countries, peoples and region safe, in a major agreement.

The agreement covers the full spectrum of security cooperation between the UK and Kenya, and represents a significant milestone in the security relationship between our 2 countries.

The Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat MP, signed the new agreement with Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and National Administration, Professor Kithure Kindiki, in Nairobi this week.

The security compact includes £10 million a year of funding to support counter-terrorism programmes, as well as commitments on defence, international cooperation, community security, law enforcement and criminal justice, cyber security, and bilateral, multilateral and regional coordination.

The UK has also launched a major new stabilisation programme to support local communities in Somalia’s Borderlands in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia to tackle the causes of instability. Worth £10 million over the next 3 years, the Deris Wanaag, or Good Neighbourliness, programme will drive collaboration and collective progress, to improve regional security and counter the extremism of the Islamist terror group al-Shabaab.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat MP said:

Kenya matters to Britain. Seeing Kenyan troops march alongside other Commonwealth forces at HM The King’s Coronation was a reminder of our shared history and the promise of a strong future. By working with Kenya, our key security partner in East Africa, we are helping to keep both our peoples safe and strengthen global security.

Together, we’re countering al-Shabaab and tackling the growing threat from regional Daesh affiliates, fighting serious organised crime, and tackling the flow of dirty money. Our security partnership is growing ever stronger.

I’m delighted to be able to announce this comprehensive new agreement, as well as our new Somalia Borderlands programme, which will tackle the root causes of instability to help end the scourge of al-Shabaab.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Professor Kithure Kindiki, said:

The friendship between Kenya and the United Kingdom is longstanding, entrenched and long-term.  We appreciate what the UK has done to support Kenya on the basis of mutual respect and reciprocity over the years.

We will make sure that we sustain this relationship so that the peoples of our 2 countries can enjoy shared prosperity as we look into the future.

The UK has remained a key partner for Kenya in the fight against corruption, and the fight against illicit financial flows.

The Borderlands area of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia shares communities challenged by drought, resource conflicts, arms proliferation and violent extremism.  The UK will partner with these 3 nations to collectively focus on the root causes of instability and the shared opportunities offered by an open border, including through trade and revenue generation.  By driving collaboration and collective progress and building resilience, the partnership aims to mitigate the drivers of instability and violent extremism to bring peace to the region.

During his time in Nairobi, Minister Tugendhat was also able to visit the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, which hosts Kenya’s Transnational Organised Crime Unit and Anti-human trafficking and Child Protection Unit.

Both units work closely with the UK’s National Crime Agency, an operational relationship which protects our 2 nations and the world against serious organised crime and terrorism, and supports Kenya in its role as regional leader in the fight against child sexual exploitation and online abuse.

Kenya is the UK’s key partner on security and peace in East Africa, from joint diplomatic efforts on Sudan to tackling al-Shabaab in Somalia and across the region. This continued close partnership will continue through the new Annual UK-Kenya High Level Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue, the first of which will be held in London in September 2023.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

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

Thank you, President.

I would like to first thank the Prosecutor, Karim Khan, for his powerful briefing today and for his 25th report on the situation in Libya. The United Kingdom gives its full support to the Prosecutor’s ongoing investigations in line with resolution 1970 of this Council, and I welcome both the briefing and the report as a demonstration of his transparency. We also welcome the participation of the Representative of Libya in this meeting.

President, we are pleased to hear of the accelerated pace of the ICC’s investigation and progress in the delivery of the new strategy outlined in the Prosecutor’s 23rd Report to this council. We note the concrete outcomes of the investigation, including the issuance of new arrest warrants by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber during the reporting period. These are important steps for delivering justice for the Libyan people.

We are grateful to the Office of the Prosecutor for the renewed effort, and those who supported it for the renewed efforts in this period. We thank the Government of National Unity in Libya for facilitating the first official visit of an ICC Prosecutor to Libya in over ten years. For the continued successful delivery of the investigation, it is critical that further support is given to the investigation by the GNU and all other relevant Libyan authorities, including through the provision of documentation.

President, we welcome the increased engagement with witnesses and survivors, and the collection of testimonial evidence. I thank the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission for sharing their expertise and enhancing the Prosecutor’s work to record the experiences of Libyan people. Following the ending of the Fact-Finding Mission, I ask UNSMIL and OHCHR to continue this co-operation to help document and safeguard evidence of serious crimes.

This is a moment of opportunity in Libya. Transitional justice is vital to long-term security and stability and it should be embedded in the political process. The ICC is an important tool to deliver justice for Libya, through transparent and fair investigation. I urge all parties to work together to safeguard human rights and ensure that justice can be delivered when crimes occur, including through cooperation with the ICC and surrender of individuals subject to arrest warrants.

In conclusion, President, the UK remains committed to working with the Prosecutor’s Office and the Libyan authorities to build on this momentum and accelerate progress towards justice. And let me underline our full support to the work of the ICC in its pursuit of justice for victims of the most egregious crimes wherever they may occur.

Thank you.

The statement made by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

36th Special Session: draft resolution delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, at the Human Rights Council.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

Informal Group on Safety of Journalists welcomes the Representative on Freedom of the Media to the OSCE Permanent Council.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

UK’s Minister for Europe opens new British Embassy premises, close to the Vatican.

• UK’s Minister for Europe opens new British Embassy premises, close to the Vatican.
• His visit underlines the strength of UK-Holy See relationship, including cooperation on climate change, freedom of religion or belief and modern slavery.

UK Minister for Europe, Leo Doherty, opened the new offices of the British Embassy to the Holy See today, (Thursday 11 May), reinforcing the importance the UK Government places on its relationship with the Holy See.

Joined at the official opening by His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States in the Holy See, the new premises are close to the Vatican.

The move underlines the importance of the UK – Holy See relationship, working together on climate change, the prevention of sexual violence in conflict, the promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief and tackling modern slavery.

Minister for Europe Leo Docherty said:

“These new UK offices, close to the heart of the Vatican, are a powerful and physical reminder of the strength of our relationship with the Holy See, and of our desire to work together even more closely on the global challenges of our time.”

The British Ambassador to the Holy See has also moved into a new residence that is, uniquely amongst his colleagues, on Vatican soil.

The UK and the Holy See celebrated 40 years of full ambassadorial relations in 2022.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

The UK recalls the importance of media freedom for democracy and security in the OSCE region.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

Ms Ribeiro, welcome back to the Permanent Council and thank you for your continued work to promote and defend media freedom since your last report.

We stand behind your mandate and your work, even as others seek to undermine the OSCE’s standards and commitments to media freedom. We agree with the conclusion in your report that it is indispensable work.

Free media play a vital role in promoting human rights and diversity and equality, including gender justice, as well as enhancing security in our region. Yet, as your report notes, last year we saw a global spike in the number of journalists and media workers who have been killed and in the number who have been imprisoned.

Across the OSCE space, the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on media freedom is evident. Many journalists in Ukraine have been injured. Broadcasting infrastructure has been destroyed. Twelve media workers have been killed while on duty, including Ukrainian producer, Bohan Bitik, who was shot and killed on April 26 while reporting for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, near Kherson. In Crimea, the persecution of dissenting voices, particularly from the Crimean Tatar community, has continued.

In Russia this January, Meduza, one of the most popular Russian-language news portals, was outlawed and declared an “undesirable organization”. In February, journalist Alexander Nevzorov was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment, while RusNews journalist Maria Ponomarenko received a six-year sentence. Telegram channel author Dmitry Ivanov was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison, and journalist Andrey Novashov to eight months in a correctional facility.

In Belarus, 33 journalists are currently behind bars. Many more have fled to avoid being detained. Independent media has been systematically purged and dismantled, with extremely harsh sentences handed down. This includes journalist Andrzej Poczobut from the Polish community in Belarus, sentenced to eight years in prison. In March, Maryna Zolatava and Ludmila Chekina, Editor-in-chief and Director General of the largest independent online news portal in Belarus, were sentenced to twelve years.

Such repressive measures reflect a systematic clampdown by the Russian and Belarusian authorities on media freedom.

Yet our OSCE commitments are very clear. Participating States have repeatedly committed themselves to ensuring media freedom as a basic condition for peaceful societies. The 2018 OSCE Ministerial Council Decision on Safety of Journalists, adopted by consensus, is a road map for us all to provide a safe and enabling environment for journalists, and to ensure our laws, policy and practice fully comply with international human rights law and OSCE Commitments. We should all live up to that decision.

The UK calls for all participating States to uphold their commitments on media freedom, and ensure the safety of journalists and media workers. We will continue to work with you to ensure that media freedom remains a cornerstone of democracy, and a prerequisite for security across our region.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

At OSCE Permanent Council UK says the extent of repression and the number of political prisoners in Belarus is staggering.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

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

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 May 2023.

The United Kingdom says it will not allow Russia’s aggression and brutality to become normalised, as Russia unleashes yet more strikes across Ukraine.

Thank you. Mr Chair, this week many participating States of the OSCE commemorated the anniversary of the end of the Second World War. However, the people of Ukraine were not able to reflect in peace and safety. On Saturday and Sunday, air raid alerts sounded across two thirds of Ukraine. Missile strikes were reported in Kharkiv, Kherson, Nikolaev and Odesa on Monday morning. Civilians were yet again among the casualties, once more paying the price for Russia’s brutal attacks. These strikes hit a Ukrainian Red Cross warehouse in Odesa and a mobile hospital in Mykolaiv. Such callous attacks harm the most vulnerable people in Ukraine, those in greatest need of humanitarian support. Such attacks are particularly inexcusable and repugnant.

It has also been reported that in a separate incident, members of Ukraine’s State Emergency Service were killed by shelling in Kherson. They were engaged in de-mining operations, working selflessly to make the area safer.

Further East, the fields surrounding Bakhmut are grey and cratered after relentless bombing. The city itself has been almost entirely destroyed. Russia has turned this once thriving city into a wasteland.

Mr Chair, on Tuesday, the same day that Russia launched waves of missile strikes at Ukraine’s capital, President Putin marked Victory Day with a speech in which he claimed that a war had been unleashed against Russia. Yet, as all of us in this room know, it was Russia that unleashed an unprovoked and illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is Russia that has bombarded Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure, killing thousands of civilians in the process. It is Ukraine that defends itself, regaining territory and liberating thousands of Ukrainian people.

Despite Russia’s continual assaults, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have held firm. Ukraine’s resilience and bravery, coupled with military, humanitarian and economic support from the UK and other partners, will ensure that they will prevail. We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Since we last met, Mr Chair, the IAEA has warned of the “potentially dangerous” situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Russia’s disregard of international law and its continued military presence has put Ukrainian nuclear facilities at risk. This endangers local populations and the wider region. The responsibility for such danger lies squarely with Russia. This is sovereign Ukrainian territory, and the Plant must be returned to Ukraine’s control to ensure its safe and secure operation. We support all efforts to reduce the risks to the Nuclear Power Plant caused by Russia’s illegal invasion, including the IAEA’s work.

The price that Ukraine’s civilians and infrastructure are paying for Russia’s horrendous attacks must not become normalised. The UK and our partners will continue to work to hold those guilty of atrocities to account. Russia must end its doomed aggression against Ukraine, and cease its shameful attacks on the Ukrainian people. It is Ukraine that fights for the OSCE’s core principles: sovereignty, territorial integrity, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is Russia that is on the wrong side of history.

Thank you, Mr Chair.