Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 May 2023.

Egyptian online newspaper Mada Masr wins joint UK-Canadian accolade for extraordinary commitment to high-quality independent journalism.

• Egyptian online newspaper Mada Masr wins joint UK-Canadian accolade for extraordinary commitment to high-quality independent journalism
• The newspaper continued to report, amidst a takedown of their website and legal threats to its reporters
• Signal of UK and Canada’s enduring commitment to supporting free and independent journalism

The 2023 Canada-United Kingdom Media Freedom Award has been presented today to independent Egyptian online newspaper Mada Masr for its extraordinary commitment to high-quality independent journalism. The newspaper continued to report, amidst a takedown of their website and legal threats to its reporters. This award signals Canada and the UK’s enduring commitment to supporting free and independent journalism.

Since its inception almost ten years ago, the online newspaper has been recognised for its unyielding commitment to high-quality journalism despite external pressures. The paper has stood their ground despite having their website blocked in Egypt, and its journalists, including Editor-in-Chief Lina Attalah, facing legal charges.

The award has been presented during the fourth Media Freedom Coalition event in New York, by James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Robert Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York.

Established in 2020, the Canada-United Kingdom Media Freedom award recognises those who have championed freedom of speech and democracy. Mada Masr is Egypt’s leading independent media outlet and is known for its free news coverage in Egypt and across the wider Middle East.

James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, said:

“Today, more than ever before, journalists are on the frontline of the battle to uphold democratic freedoms and the Canada-United Kingdom Media Freedom Award continues to recognise those who work tirelessly to promote and protect free speech.

“I’m delighted to honour the work of editor Lina Attalah and her team, who have upheld those ideals amidst significant pressure. I hope that independent media outlets around the world will take this as a signal that we will always support them.”

Bob Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York, said:

“Media freedom is central to democratic societies, and essential to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It takes courage and conviction to be among those on the frontlines advocating for our human rights and defending against efforts to undermine them.

“Today I am honoured to present the Canada-UK Media Freedom Award to Editor-in-Chief of Mada Masr, Lina Attalah and her team, who remain fierce advocates for independent journalism in Egypt and the wider Middle East.”

As the 2023 winner, Mada Masr joins former Canada-United Kingdom Media Freedom Award recipients, Vietnamese journalist Pham Doang Trang, who was named as winner in 2022, and 2020 winner the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Journalists who champion democracy and human rights need to be protected and continued coordinated commitment to ensuring media freedom is helping to highlight their brave work around the world, from Myanmar to Russia and Afghanistan.

The announcement of the third Canada-United Kingdom Media Freedom Award comes ahead of UN World Press Freedom Day on 3 May.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 May 2023.

The UK has evacuated 2197 people to safety from Sudan, in the longest and largest airlift by any Western nation during the crisis.

• UK Government arranged extra evacuation flights from Port Sudan today (Monday, May 1).
• Follows end of UK evacuation flights from Wadi Saeedna airfield, near Khartoum, on Saturday evening (29 April).
• Total number of people evacuated is now 2197 (as of 17:30 Monday 1 May), in the longest and largest evacuation from Sudan by any Western nation

The UK has evacuated 2197 people to safety from Sudan, in the longest and largest airlift by any Western nation during the crisis, as the attention now turns to humanitarian and diplomatic efforts.

Further flights were expected from Port Sudan on Monday evening, supporting British nationals and others – including Sudanese doctors working in the NHS – who have arrived in Port Sudan.

In addition to British nationals, the UK has also helped evacuate 1087 people from other nations, including the US, Ireland, Netherlands, Canada, Germany and Australia.

The UK Government is no longer running evacuation flights from Wadi Saeedna airfield because of a significant decline in the number of British nationals coming forward and an increasingly volatile situation on the ground.

A UK team is now set up at Port Sudan to provide consular assistance, including to British nationals leaving by commercial routes.

Royal Navy ship HMS Lancaster is supporting evacuation efforts from Sudan.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

With thanks to the extraordinary efforts of staff and military, the UK has brought 2197 people to safety from Sudan so far – the largest airlift by any Western nation.

As the focus turns to humanitarian and diplomatic efforts, we will continue do all we can to press for a long-term ceasefire and an immediate end to the violence in Sudan.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

Yet again the men and women of our Armed Forces have led the way. In one week, the RAF have flown more than 20 flights, deployed over a thousand personnel, evacuated over 2,000 civilians and helped citizens from more than 20 countries to get home.

HMS Lancaster will remain at Port Sudan and her crew will continue to help provide support.

The UK is leading diplomatic efforts for peace in Sudan, with International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell in Nairobi over the weekend, meeting with Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto and African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat to discuss the conflict in Sudan.

The UK Ambassador to Sudan was deployed to Addis Ababa last week (27 April) to support the UK’s diplomatic regional response to Sudan from the British Embassy in Ethiopia.

The UK is also exploring options to provide effective humanitarian assistance to people in Sudan, in close coordination with international partners, the UN, and NGOs. The UK is a committed donor in Sudan, having spent over £250 million in humanitarian aid in the last five years.

The UK continues to provide consular support to British nationals in Port Sudan and in neighbouring countries in the region.

The safety of all British nationals in Sudan continues to be our utmost priority and we urge everyone to continue to follow our travel advice. The situation remains volatile and our ability to conduct evacuations could change at short notice.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 April 2023.

Exceptional additional flight from Port Sudan announced, as total number of people evacuated reaches 2122.

An extra UK evacuation flight from Port Sudan will depart on Monday (May 1), extending the longest and largest evacuation effort of any Western country from Sudan.

British nationals who wish to leave Sudan on this flight are asked to travel to the British Evacuation Handling Centre at the Coral Hotel on 1 May before 1200 Sudan time tomorrow (1100 BST) to allow for processing.

This additional exceptional flight facilitates the evacuation of a limited number of UK nationals remaining in Sudan who wish to leave. This flight follows the UK’s successful evacuation operation from Wadi Saeeda near Khartoum, which has evacuated 2122 people on 23 flights.

The UK Government is no longer running evacuation flights from Wadi Saeedna airfield because of a decline in demand by British nationals, and while the situation on the ground remains volatile. The last evacuation flight departed the airfield at 2200 Sudan time on 29 April.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK has now airlifted over 2100 people to safety from Sudan, in what has been the largest and longest evacuation of any Western country. I want to thank all of those working to deliver this evacuation and ensure as many people as possible are brought to safety.

Evacuation flights have ended from Wadi Saeedna but our rescue efforts continue from Port Sudan. We continue to do everything in our power to secure a long-term ceasefire, a stable transition to civilian rule and an end the violence in Sudan.

Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said:

I am grateful to our Armed Forces who have ensured there was an alternative to Wadi Saeedna and who are currently supporting FCDO and Border Force staff to facilitate the rescue effort. HMS Lancaster and the RAF are also there in support of HMG.

The evacuation criteria was expanded on Saturday to include eligible non-British nationals in Sudan who are working as clinicians within the NHS, and their dependants who have leave to enter the UK.

The UK continues to provide consular support to British nationals in Port Sudan and in neighbouring countries in the region.

The safety of all British nationals in Sudan continues to be our utmost priority and we urge everyone to continue to follow our travel advice. The situation remains volatile and our ability to conduct evacuations could change at short notice.

The UK is pursuing all diplomatic avenues to end the violence in Sudan and return to civilian rule, with the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Defence Secretary and Minister for Africa all speaking with international partners. Ultimately a stable transition to civilian rule is the best way to protect the security and prosperity of the Sudanese people.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 April 2023.

1888 airlifted to safety by UK evacuation, as focus turns to supporting those remaining in Sudan.

The final UK evacuation flight from Wadi Saeedna airfield will depart this evening, ending the longest and largest evacuation from Sudan of any Western country.

The successful operation has evacuated more than 1888 people on 21 flights, the vast majority of them British nationals and their dependents.

Focus will now turn to providing consular support to British nationals in Port Sudan and in neighbouring countries in the region.

The government decided to end flights today because of a decline in demand by British Nationals, and because the situation on ground continues to remain volatile.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK has brought more than 1888 people to safety from Sudan thanks to the efforts of staff and military working around the clock to deliver this evacuation – the largest of any Western country.

We continue to press all diplomatic levers to secure a long term ceasefire and end the bloodshed in Sudan. Ultimately a stable transition to civilian rule is the best way to protect the security and prosperity of the Sudanese people.

Those still in Sudan who wish to leave should continue to follow our travel advice. The UK is pursuing all diplomatic avenues to end the violence in Sudan and return to civilian rule, with the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Defence Secretary and Minister for Africa all speaking with international partners. Ultimately a stable transition to civilian rule is the best way to protect the security and prosperity of the Sudanese people.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 April 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 April 2023.

The final UK evacuation flight from Wadi Saeedna airfield near Khartoum in Sudan is due to leave on Saturday (29 April) due to declining demand for seats.

Following the longest and largest evacuation effort of any Western country, the final UK evacuation flight from Wadi Saeedna airfield near Khartoum is due to leave on Saturday (29 April) due to declining demand for seats.

Those still in Sudan who wish to leave, meet the eligibility criteria and judge it safe to travel to the airfield, should be there by 1200 (midday) Sudan time tomorrow to be processed for the last flight.

It marks the end of a successful evacuation operation with 1,573 people evacuated so far since flights started on Tuesday 25 April, the vast majority of them British nationals and their eligible dependents.

The government has decided to end the flights tomorrow because of a decline in demand, as well as the risk of renewed conflict in Sudan.

The UK has set up a limited consular presence at Port Sudan to signpost British nationals to available options for departure.

We will also continue to press all diplomatic levers to secure a long term ceasefire and end to the bloodshed in Sudan. Ultimately a stable transition to civilian rule is the best way to protect the security and prosperity of the Sudanese people.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 April 2023.

Message from His Majesty The King Charles III to His Excellency President Ramaphosa on the occasion of South Africa’s day of Freedom and Democracy.

Dear Mr. President,

I have the honour of conveying a message of congratulations to Your Excellency from His Majesty King Charles.

Dear Mr President,

I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Your Excellency, and the people of the Republic of South Africa, as you celebrate your National Day.

I look forward to our continuing warm friendship and to the strong and close partnership between our two countries, including as members of the Commonwealth, where 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the Commonwealth Charter.

As we face these challenging times, our working together for prosperity, democracy and peace and critically, tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, is all the more important.

I have always cherished my visits to South Africa and remember fondly the warm receptions repeatedly given to me by the people of South Africa.  It was the greatest pleasure to be able to welcome you to the United Kingdom last November for the first State Visit of my Reign.

As you and South Africans everywhere celebrate today, my wife joins me in sending you our warmest good wishes for the year ahead.

Charles R.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 April 2023.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly hosts Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman in London to sign joint declaration on bilateral cooperation.

• UK and Croatia foreign ministers sign joint declaration to enhance cooperation on defence and security, migration, trade and climate change
• Foreign Secretary emphasises support to Ukraine and promoting prosperity and stability in Western Balkans as top international priorities

The UK is reinforcing its partnership with Croatia with a renewed vision for cooperation across defence and security, trade, migration and climate change.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly signed a joint declaration on bilateral cooperation with his Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlić Radman in London today (28 April).

The declaration will also step up cooperation in the fight against climate change and deliver on the Prime Minister’s priorities of tackling illegal migration and growing the UK’s economy.

The foreign ministers emphasised the need to accelerate support for Ukraine to defend against Russian aggression and strengthen stability, democracy and the rule of law in the Western Balkans.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK and Croatia are important allies. From our ongoing support to Ukraine, to protecting peace and stability in the Western Balkans, we work closely to secure our shared security and prosperity.

Today we’ve signed a joint declaration which cements our commitment to intensify that cooperation on defence, trade and cultural ties.

The declaration will also step up cooperation in the fight against climate change and tackle illegal migration.

Following last year’s 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, both foreign ministers agreed to build on the strong commercial relationship and close ties between our countries.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 April 2023.

Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, hosted an event at the FCDO on 27 April with the Syrian Emergency Task Force.

Distinguished guests, colleagues, friends.

Thank you for joining us today for this important discussion on the need for accountability in Syria. In particular, a very special thank you to our panellists, all of whom have been resolute in their demands for justice.

While I will let them tell their own stories, what will become clear is that the Syrian regime has, for more than 12 years, shown a complete disregard for the sanctity of human life.

It is impossible not to be moved by the powerful images on display. While these images make for harrowing viewing, bearing witness is a first, critical step in the pursuit of justice.

The Syrian people have endured unimaginable suffering. And while the propaganda merchants of Damascus, Moscow and Tehran seek to rewrite history, the evidence we can see and hear today underlines where responsibility for these abuses principally lies: with the Asad regime, and its allies – Russia and Iran.

The UK has stood with the Syrian people from the outset of this conflict. We continue to work with our partners, and the UN, to advance an inclusive political process and an end to the conflict. We have delivered more than £3.8 billion in humanitarian assistance since 2012, our largest ever commitment to a single humanitarian crisis.

Most recently, the UK acted swiftly to respond to the devastating earthquakes of 6 February, increasing support to our partners on the ground; we were able to provide a package of support worth more than £43 million.

But, UK support goes further than humanitarian funding. I am proud of the relationships the UK Government has built with Syrian civil society. The Syrian people are at the heart of justice and accountability efforts, and your voices will always have a place in guiding UK policy.

The UK also uses our position in the Human Rights Council and at the Security Council to highlight the scale of human rights abuses in Syria – we will not let up.

We support information sharing and evidence collection mechanisms, which have helped with judicial convictions, including the landmark trial of Anwar Raslan.

We support the creation of a new UN mechanism to focus on the missing. And we maintain a robust sanctions regime – our second largest – on those responsible for atrocities against the Syrian people.

We also work to expose the malign way in which the Syrian regime is destabilising the region. The regime enriches itself and its war machine, for example through the narcotics trade, whilst the Syrian people starve. To our friends in the region: you have our full support in addressing the harmful influence that Syrian narcotics and this conflict have on your societies.

Right now, some of our closest partners might be reconsidering their relations with Syria. Dialogue has hastened and we are all aware of ongoing discussions about Syria’s role in the region; we understand our partners’ desire for peace, but I want to emphasise that the UK’s stance on non-engagement with Damascus has not changed.

We will not work with a regime which shows no remorse and which has not shown any willingness to change its behaviour.

Our stance is guided by our values, but also by the evidence from other contexts of how conflicts can be sustainably ended. We believe the best way to achieve a lasting peace in Syria is through collective pressure, with clear demands of the regime including: a nationwide ceasefire; releasing those arbitrarily detained; conditions for safe refugee returns; and opening a safe political space, leading to free and fair elections. We will continue to work with our partners in the region and elsewhere to achieve these goals.

A Syria for all Syrians is possible. A Syria where people are free to live without fear of forced disappearance; without fear of systematic torture and sexual violence; and without fear that chemical weapons will again be used against them.

Let me end by saying that there can be no peace without accountability; that is as true in Syria as it is in Ukraine. The UK remains as committed to the Syrian people as we were when you first took to the streets demanding the most basic of freedoms.

The cause of accountability is not straightforward. But as Martin Luther King put it, though the arc of history is long, it bends towards justice.

Thank you all, once again, for joining us today and I will now hand over to Charles King, our Acting Special Envoy to Syria.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 April 2023.

The Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad gave a joint statement, welcoming the announcement to extend the ceasefire in Sudan.

Statement by the Trilateral Mechanism (the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the United Nations) and the Quad (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States):

Members of the Trilateral Mechanism (the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the United Nations) and the Quad (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States) welcome the announcement by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to extend the current ceasefire for an additional 72 hours and call for its full implementation.

We also welcome their readiness to engage in dialogue towards establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access.  This initial phase of diplomacy to establish a process to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements will contribute to action on development of a de-escalation plan as outlined in the April 20 African Union communique, which was endorsed by the League of Arab States, the European Union, the Troika, and other bilateral partners.