Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 January 2023.

Statement delivered by Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council briefing on MEPP.

Thank you, Mr President, and we thank the Special Coordinator for his briefing.

Last year saw large numbers of Palestinians and Israelis killed, worsening rates of settler violence, and the emergence of new Palestinian militant groups. Unfortunately, 2023 has also started with violence and instability. In this context, the UK Minister of State, Lord Ahmad, visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories earlier this month. There, he underlined the UK’s support for a two-state solution and urged the parties, supported by the international community, to do all they can to de-escalate, restore calm, and rebuild trust.

To this end, Mr President, first, the parties must demonstrate through their statements and their policies a genuine commitment to peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians and to a two-state solution. This is the only way to end the conflict, preserve Israel’s Jewish and democratic identity and realise Palestinian national aspirations. The UK opposes all unilateral actions that will make peace harder to achieve, whether taken by the Palestinian or Israeli side, including the Government of Israel’s measures against the Palestinian Authority, announced on 6 January.

Second, the UK calls upon all parties to continue to uphold the historic Status Quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites. During his visit, Lord Ahmad visited Haram Al Sharif/Temple Mount. He emphasised the UK’s unwavering commitment to the Status Quo and to working with the parties to ensure the safety of all who visit. We value Jordan’s important role as custodian of the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Third, we urge the leaders on both sides to promote a culture of peaceful coexistence. The desecration of 30 Christian graves in a Protestant cemetery on Mount Zion this month speaks to the dangers of increasing division along ethnic and religious lines. We are grateful to all sides for their swift condemnation of these shocking acts. As a defender of freedom of religion or belief for all, the UK urges respect for all burial and holy sites, which must be treated with dignity.

Finally, Israel must exercise maximum restraint in the use of live fire when protecting its legitimate security interest. In the first three weeks of this year, 14 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces, including 3 children.

Restoring stability and securing peace is still possible, but requires effort from all sides in a process towards a two state solution. The UK stands ready to support these important objectives.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 January 2023.

Ambassador Bush welcomes the incoming Bosnian FSC Chair and stresses the continued need to highlight the impact of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 January 2023.

Statement delivered by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council briefing on human rights and religious freedom in Ukraine.

Thank you President. I thank ASG Brands Kehris for her briefing and the work of OHCHR.

President, the UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief around the world, a commitment we share with Ukraine, whose democracy is well-known for its pluralism.

We condemn the persecution of any group based on religion or belief. That’s why we hosted a conference in London last year, to urge increased global action to prevent violations and abuses of freedom of religion or belief.

That’s why we condemn Russia’s campaign of persecution against communities in Ukraine and Russia based on their religion or belief.

This includes the detention and oppression of Crimean Tatars, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and clergy belonging to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Protestant churches in areas of Ukraine controlled by Russia, since 2014.

This includes Russia’s ban against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, which the European Court of Human Rights ruled was unlawful and in violation of fundamental human rights. And it includes the damage and destruction of over 100 religious sites resulting from Russia’s war in Ukraine, as verified by UNESCO.

It is clear from Russia’s track record then that they did not request this meeting out of a concern for any human right. If Russia cared about human rights it would not have launched its illegal invasion of Ukraine – an invasion which Russian Orthodox leader, Patriarch Kirill, has supported and recently suggested would leave no trace of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

No, President. The reason Russia has requested this meeting is once again to distract from its own actions.

Colleagues, this is an invasion which, as the UN, OHCHR and the Commission of Inquiry have confirmed, continues to be marked by grave violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. By death, injury and displacement of thousands. Arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and summary execution of Ukrainians by Russian forces. By mass disruption of education and forced deportations of children. And of course attacks on civilian infrastructure and objects, including the devastating attacks on residential buildings in Dnipro just this weekend, which Ukrainian officials have said killed at least 40 people.

This is the real story of human rights in Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor state. Russia is committing heinous crimes and pointing in the other direction to try to pull the wool over our eyes.

President, Russia should stop this propaganda, and instead do what the overwhelming majority of the UN membership has urged them to since February last year: end its invasion of Ukraine, withdraw its forces from Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders, and uphold its commits under international law and the UN Charter.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 January 2023.

Ambassador Bush expresses concern regarding disruptions to the Lachin Corridor and the associated humanitarian consequences.

Thank you, Foreign Minister Mirzoyan.

The ongoing disruptions to the Lachin Corridor and the associated humanitarian consequences are deeply worrying.

We regret that despite this issue being raised here at the OSCE and the United Nations Security Council, significant progress has not been made. We urge the Government of Azerbaijan to take all measures to allow for the unhindered movement of humanitarian goods and civilians.

The United Kingdom acknowledges that both sides have concerns regarding the implementation of agreements made in relation to the 2020 ceasefire. We urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to undertake meaningful negotiations to find a sustainable and peaceful settlement that secures lasting peace and stability for the region.

The United Kingdom offers our continued, unwavering and unconditional support to the international mechanisms, including the OSCE, which are working to support peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It remains clear: only through peacefully facilitated dialogue can peace be reached.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 January 2023.

• Foreign Secretary begins a visit to Washington DC and Toronto to deepen diplomatic, trade and security ties and to keep up the fight against Putin’s illegal invasion
• James Cleverly to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and other senior government figures.
• The Foreign Secretary will discuss coordinated efforts to help Ukraine prevail over Russian aggression, as well as deepening our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and on intelligence, security and humanitarian issues.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly begins his first bilateral visit in post to North America today (Tuesday 17 January) to deepen diplomatic, trade, intelligence and security ties and to stand against Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

James Cleverly will hold an intensive round of diplomatic talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly in Toronto, to encourage international cooperation and support for Ukraine as we approach the second year of the conflict.

The Foreign Secretary will stress to the two allies that now is the time to go further and faster in giving Ukraine the tools to win the war. He will underline that, with the right equipment, the Ukrainian people will prevail. This is part of the Prime Minister’s commitment to accelerate the UK’s diplomatic and military support in the coming weeks in a bid to push Russia further back and secure a lasting peace.

The UK has already committed to match or exceed funding for military aid to Ukraine in 2023. Last year the UK provided £2.3bn in military support that has already helped turn the tide in the war and secure successive Ukrainian battlefield victories.

The Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, said:

The UK, US and Canada always have each other’s backs when it counts, protecting the rules-based order for nearly eighty years.

Today we stand united against Putin’s illegal war, and we will continue to use our uniquely strong defence and security ties to ensure that, in the end, the Ukrainian people will win.

The Foreign Secretary will also raise Iran with counterparts, after the UK temporarily recalled its Ambassador to Iran and sanctioned Iran’s Prosecutor General, following the execution of British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari.

During his visit to the US, the Foreign Secretary will set out the UK’s foreign policy priorities at a live event at the Centre for Strategic & International Studies in Washington DC on Tuesday. On Wednesday he will lay a wreath at the US Army Arlington National Cemetery.

In Canada on Wednesday, the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Joly will discuss closer coordination on sanctions, and he will welcome Canada’s leadership in standing up against the arbitrary detention of foreign nationals for diplomatic ends.

He will also discuss the UK’s ongoing efforts to accede to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and progress towards a bilateral free trade agreement.

Following bilateral talks, the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Joly will meet members of the Ukrainian diaspora. In Toronto he will also meet representatives of major Canadian pension funds, as key investors into the UK.

The extensive visit programme reflects the immense value the UK places on its relationships with the US and Canada, and underlines the UK’s role as a steadfast ally, defence partner, and a great place to do business.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 January 2023.

The UK is sending further vital medical supplies to Ukraine to help treat casualties of the Russian offensive.

Over 70 pallets of bandages, crutches, wheelchairs, and other much needed medical supplies are being donated to UK-Med, a frontline medical NGO, for those injured in Russian attacks. The supplies come from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s emergency response stocks and will be used across Ukraine, including in Dnipro, Poltava and Lviv, to boost UK-Med’s ongoing work to establish mobile clinics to reach and treat vulnerable people.

They include tents to be used for temporary treatment centres where health facilities have been damaged, as well as nearly 80 beds, over 30,000 gowns, aprons, bandages, needles, and other vital pieces of medical equipment.

UK-Med’s support in Ukraine provides a range of vital medical services, from surgical interventions and primary health care to mental health and psychosocial support. They are also training civilians in trauma first aid and delivering psychological first aid training for medical teams.

The donation comes as the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visits the US and Canada, where he is meeting with members of the Ukrainian diaspora and discussing support to Ukraine with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Putin’s brutal bombardment of civilians and infrastructure across Ukraine is continuing to have a massive human cost, with the Ukrainian people paying the price.

This latest UK donation will help ensure medics on the frontline can continue to provide life-saving medical support to those caught in the conflict.

The UK has previously donated equipment and pharmaceutical supplies to UK-Med, in addition to £300,000 funding, to set up mobile health clinics and help train Ukrainian doctors, nurses and paramedics on how to deal with mass casualties. This latest donation builds on that work, to support the most vulnerable civilians remaining in Ukraine, including the elderly and young children.

Tom Godfrey, Operations Director at UK-Med, said:

UK-Med is very grateful for the donation of these supplies which will make a real difference to the day-to-day work of clinicians in Ukraine, working in very challenging conditions to provide healthcare to conflict affected populations.

This builds on donations from FCDO in 2022 and helps to cement UK-Med as a key partner for the Ministry of Health in Ukraine. This will contribute to our work directly treating war wounded through surgical interventions as well as providing primary health care including mental health care support to affected populations which is supplemented by an extensive capacity building program.

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is killing innocent civilians and destroying vital infrastructure. The UN estimates that almost 18million people in Ukraine need humanitarian support. This donation is part of the UK’s commitment to provide medical supplies and basic necessities on the ground, saving lives and protecting vulnerable people. This includes over £220 million worth of humanitarian support through the UN, the Red Cross and NGOs, including the Disasters Emergency Committee members and UK-Med.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 January 2023.

Statement delivered by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council briefing on Yemen.

Thank you President.

And let me thank Special Envoy Grundberg and USG Griffiths for your briefings. We are hugely grateful for the work they and their teams continue to do for the Yemeni people.

The UK welcomes efforts, by all parties, to build upon the relative peace we continue to see.

All steps towards a negotiated, Yemeni-led political settlement under UN auspices, are steps towards the longstanding peace that Yemenis deserve.

This is the only way to fully address the humanitarian situation, which remains dire across the country.

While efforts continue to seek a lasting solution to the conflict, we must intensify efforts to improve the immediate humanitarian situation alongside addressing long-term drivers of the humanitarian crisis.

Mr President,

The Houthi block on oil exports has plunged the Government of Yemen into dire economic straits. We urge the international community to take all steps to mitigate this impact and support Yemen’s government at this critical time.

With the launch of the Humanitarian Response Plan at the end of this month, the UK encourages all donors, current or prospective, to stay committed to alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people.

To ensure access to lifesaving assistance, we further call on authorities in the north and south for unfettered access of our partners across the country.

As Martin has outlined, the introduction of mahram requirements in the north, does the very opposite.

We call for an immediate end to these restrictions that curtail Yemeni women’s ability to both deliver and access crucial aid and remain employed.

Finally, I want to reiterate our concern about the delays surrounding the operation to salvage the FSO SAFER tanker to which the UK has dispersed £6 million in funding.

To avoid a wholly preventable crisis, we call on the UN and all parties to continue working together at pace. Urgency needs to be balanced with rigour, but we must identify ways to avoid further delays.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 January 2023.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič met via video conference, along with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.

European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris met via video conference today to discuss the work on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland since their last meeting on 9 January.

The two sides discussed the range of existing challenges over the last two years and the need to find solutions together to tackle comprehensively the real-life concerns of all communities in Northern Ireland and protect both Northern Ireland’s place in the UK’s internal market and the integrity of the EU’s Single Market.

They agreed that this scoping work for potential solutions should continue in a constructive and collaborative spirit, taking careful account of each other’s legitimate interests.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 January 2023.

The UK has sanctioned with immediate effect Iran’s Prosecutor General, following the execution of British-Iranian dual national Alireza Akbari.

Alireza Akbari was executed by the Iranian regime earlier today – a politically motivated act which underlines this regime’s complete disregard for human life. Iran’s use of the death penalty accelerated in 2022, with a growing number of individuals put to death often after deeply flawed legal processes

Iran’s Prosecutor General, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, is one of the most powerful figures in Iran’s judiciary and responsible for the trial process and the use of the death penalty.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The Prosecutor General is at the heart of Iran’s barbaric use of the death penalty for political ends. Sanctioning him today underlines our disgust at Alireza Akbari’s execution and our commitment to holding the regime to account for its appalling human rights violations.

While Montazeri has been Prosecutor General, the Iranian regime has also executed 4 individuals in relation to ongoing protests. In response to the brutal crackdown, the UK has imposed more than 40 new sanctions on the regime, including 6 individuals linked to the Revolutionary Courts who have been responsible for prosecuting protestors with egregious sentences including the death penalty.

The sanctions impose an asset freeze and UK travel ban on Jafar Motazeri and send a wider signal on the UK’s commitment to backing condemnation with action.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 January 2023.

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

Thank you President. And I join others in thanking Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her briefing and welcoming among us H.E. Dzhaparova, the First Deputy Foreign Minister, and H.E. Gerwel, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.

This is our first meeting on Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine since the 9th of December last year. Many of us have spent the time since then resting, recuperating, celebrating with family and preparing for the New Year.

Russia has spent that time bombing civilians, attacking Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, and attempting to seize Ukrainian territory –– as it did for most of last year.

Russia has continued to do this with the assistance of Belarus, and using weapons sourced from Iran and North Korea in violation of Security Council resolutions and with utter contempt for this Council.

President, millions of Ukrainians spent the holiday period sheltering from missile and drone attacks, sitting in the dark and the cold, and living as refugees, displaced persons, and prisoners; many of them thousands of miles away from their homes, families and loved ones.

As the Secretary-General said yesterday, this war has created a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe, traumatised a generation of children and accelerated the global food and energy crisis.

As a result, millions more across the world are facing another year of hunger and hardship caused by Russia’s war.

President, as many of us have said repeatedly, Russia can choose to end all this immediately: by stopping its attacks against Ukraine – not just for thirty-six hours, but for good – and by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine.

While Russia’s assault continues, however, Ukraine has no choice but to exercise its right to defend itself.

But, like the rest of us, what Ukraine wants is a just and sustainable peace. We support Ukraine’s initiative to this end.

We join the international community in again calling for an end to the war, which respects Ukraine’s rights under international law and the UN Charter, so that this year, may be a year of peace.