Tag: Foreign Office

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

Mr Vinay Talwar has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Djibouti.

Mr Vinay Talwar has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Djibouti in succession to Ms Jo McPhail who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Talwar will take up his appointment during April 2023.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Vinay Talwar

Year	Role
2022 to 2023	Dublin, Head of Economic Team
2021 to 2022	Strasbourg, École Nationale d’Administration, FCDO and French Government Scholarship: MA in International Relations & Public Administration
2020 to 2021	Paris, Head of Communications
2020	Lima, Crisis Manager and Acting Deputy Head of Mission
2019 to 2020	Khartoum, Political Counsellor
2018 to 2019	Auckland, South Pacific Islands Project Lead
2018	UK Mission to the WTO, UN and Other International Organisations (UKMIS Geneva), First Secretary, Migration
2015 to 2018	Nouakchott, Head, UK Embassy Office
2013 to 2015	House of Commons, Second Clerk, Select Committee for Energy and Climate Change
2013	Yangon, Acting Head, Political Team
2011 to 2013	FCO, Head, NSC Emerging Powers Team, Policy Unit
2010 to 2011	Delhi, Political Officer, Climate Change and Energy Unit
2009 to 2010	Juba, Head of British Embassy Office
2009	Brussels, United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union, Press Officer
2008	UK Permanent Representation to the United Nations New York, UNGA Team Leader, Second Secretary 5th Committee
2006 to 2008	Guatemala City, Second Secretary Political (covering Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador)
2006	Full Time Language Training (Spanish)
2005 to 2006	UK Trade and Industry, Attaché, Overseas Attachment Scheme (OATS), New York
2004 to 2005	FCO, Head, Forced Marriage Unit, Consular Directorate
2003 to 2004	Joined FCO, Desk Officer, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Guinea-Bissau and The Gambia

 

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

Minister of State Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon set out the UK’s offer of help ahead of the June 2023 Ukraine Recovery Conference.

Let me begin by offering my condolences to Ukraine for the tragic helicopter crash last week. I would also like to thank Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Hayashi for bringing us together today.

The UK condemns Putin’s continued attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

The Ukrainian people have demonstrated great bravery and resilience, working tirelessly for months to meet this immense challenge.

Meanwhile, the efforts by this group to support Ukraine since October, under the United States leadership, are commendable.

Now, we must maintain this focus and support.

The UK has stood behind Ukraine as it fights for its freedom, providing more than £4 billion in military, humanitarian, and economic support.

On defence – Ukraine has increasingly shown its ability to shoot down Russian missiles. Therefore, this group must keep our focus on strengthening Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, maintaining a pipeline of supplies to strengthen its air defence.

This year, the UK will provide £2.3 billion in military support.

On energy – we have already provided close to £80 million in energy support and £220 million in humanitarian aid. We were early supporters of the Energy Community’s Ukraine Support Fund and expect to release our second tranche of funding, £5 million, later this month.

We welcome the significant contributions from other partners to the Fund.

Our work continues with the UK energy sector, including the National Grid and private businesses, to see what further support can be made available.

We are also committed to supporting Ukraine’s longer-term recovery and its ambition to rebuild a more modern, efficient, and greener energy system.

Now the donor coordination platform for Ukraine has been established, it is important that this group aligns its work with the platform. In this way, our work to restore Ukraine’s energy infrastructure will integrate with wider reconstruction efforts.

We look forward to working on this with our international partners in the run-up to the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London in June.

Let me end by saying that the UK is unflinching in our determination to help Ukraine repel Putin’s illegal invasion, and lay the foundations for a stronger, more prosperous Ukraine.

We will continue to work with this group to those ends, for as long as it takes.

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

Statement by Alice Jacobs, UK Deputy Political Coordinator at the UN, at the Security Council briefing on Haiti.

The United Kingdom would like to join others today in extending our sincere condolences to the people of Gabon for the passing of Foreign Minister Moussa Adamo.

I’d like to thank SRSG La Lime for her briefing today and the continued work of BINUH in Haiti.

And we welcome the participation of the Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic and the Permanent Representatives of Haiti and Canada.

President, the UK remains deeply concerned by the dire humanitarian and security situation in Haiti. The figures speak for themselves: 58% of the population under the poverty line; 4.7 million acutely food insecure and an increase of kidnappings in 2022 of over 100% compared to the previous year. We’ve also heard chilling accounts of the widespread use of sexual violence by armed gangs as a weapon to instil fear into communities.

It is in this context that we recognise the need for an urgent response to Haiti’s request for international assistance and we look forward to further Council discussion on the authorisation of an international security assistance mission, as proposed by the Secretary General. Such a mission would have to be led by Haitian needs and should aim to contribute towards the restoration of effective governance through combatting endemic gang violence.

We also recognise the role of targetted sanctions in this regard. Following the establishment of the Sanctions Committee, we stand ready to consider further designations against those involved in criminal gang activity and the human rights violations that continue to threaten the peace, stability and security of Haiti.

However, sanctions alone do not offer a solution. Now is the time for Haitians to come together to find a solution to the political impasse: one that tackles the deep rooted economic, humanitarian and security challenges blighting the daily lives of the Haitian people. The UK welcomes recent moves towards a broader dialogue and efforts to reach a consensus. We renew our call for all actors to partake in political dialogue and to work together to identify and implement a consensus route towards democratic elections.

Thank you.

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

The Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and the Israeli Embassy host Holocaust Memorial Day event at Foreign Office.

• James Cleverly and Israeli Embassy host Holocaust Memorial Day event at Foreign Office
• The Foreign Secretary speaks of the importance of learning from the Holocaust and grieving for all those who died
• Concentration camp survivor Manfred Goldberg and Israel’s Ambassador to the UK also attend the first in-person memorial event at the FCDO in three years.

The Foreign Secretary said we all share “a solemn duty” to remember the six million victims of the Holocaust – as the UK and Israel jointly commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) with a ceremony at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.

The event, co-hosted by the FCDO and the Israeli Embassy in the UK, was part of a long-standing collaboration between the UK and Israel to mark HMD and returns in-person for the first time in three years.

The Foreign Secretary gave a speech to attendees reflecting on his own visit, last year, to Radegast station in Lodz in Poland where 200,000 Jewish men, women and children were transported to Nazi death camps.

In his speech, the Foreign Secretary spoke of the “solemn duty to remember” that “every one of us shares.”

Stutthof Concentration Camp survivor, Manfred Goldberg BEM, also shared his testimony with guests at the ceremony, including representatives from the Jewish community, diplomatic community, civil society, Parliamentarians, and other communal leaders.

UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, said:

Every one of us shares a solemn duty to remember that six million men, women and children were killed during the Holocaust.

When we say the words “never again”, we must mean it, heart and soul.

We owe it to all who were not saved to reflect, to learn, to grieve, and above all, to remember.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, said:

Today, we remember the six million Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust, as well as the millions of other lives who perished at the hands of Nazism. We reflect on the systematic murder of ordinary people and the immense pain and suffering needlessly inflicted on so many. “We also consider the terrible consequences of when other ordinary people stand idly by and allow the initial roots of hatred to take hold. We, therefore, renew our promise to forever challenge prejudice in all its forms wherever it occurs, so that the horrors of the Holocaust are never repeated.

The Rt Hon. the Lord Pickles, the UK’s Special Envoy for post-Holocaust issues and Co-Chair of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation, said:

Sadly, the number of direct witnesses to the Holocaust are dwindling and that is why we must ensure that what they endured, what they witnessed is never forgotten. We should make it our mission to ensure that no one questions the basic facts of the Holocaust.

The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators.

We owe it to the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered during the Holocaust, survivors, and refugees to reclaim their rights, their history, their cultural heritage and traditions, and their dignity.

Both the Embassy of Israel and the FCDO will mark Holocaust Memorial Day on Friday 27th January 2023, by lighting up their respective buildings in purple, in honour of all victims of genocide.

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

The Minister for Development and Africa emphasises the importance of the UK working with African countries on a two-day visit to Senegal.

• Minister for Development and Africa will hold discussions with African leaders this week on rising food insecurity.
• Andrew Mitchell will explore opportunities to expand British Investment into African countries to tackle this challenge.
• He will meet Senegalese President and current African Union Chair Macky Sall during his visit, which will celebrate the UK’s growing partnership with a fast-growing, democratic, and stable regional power.

The UK Minister for Development and Africa will emphasise the importance of the UK working with African countries to grow economies and boost food security – on a two-day visit to Senegal, starting today (Tuesday 24 January).

Arriving in Dakar, Andrew Mitchell will hail the important relationship between the UK and Senegal, a country, with huge economic potential.

He will meet key Senegalese government figures on his visit, including current African Union Chair and Senegal President Macky Sall. He will also set out the UK’s vision of a stronger partnership between the UK and Senegal that delivers mutual prosperity and security, and tackles global issues such as health and climate change. He will sign the first ever Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Senegal, a symbol of our growing partnership.

Mr Mitchell will see first-hand the impact of British investment in Senegal, including how UK-funded projects are supporting women and girls, and helping to build Senegal’s vaccine production facilities to tackle the next pandemic.

Representing the UK at the Dakar 2 Feed Africa Summit, an African-led initiative, the Minister will listen to African leaders talk about the causes of rising food insecurity and hear their vision for accelerating agricultural transformation, with the aim of maximising the UK’s impact in alleviating food shortages across the continent. The UK is working with regional organisations like AGRA, Regional Economic Communities and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to help strengthen food trade in Africa.

Minister for Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said:

Many Brits know Senegal for its world-class football team. They may not know that our partnership with Senegal reaps benefits for people in both our countries, delivering economic growth and tackling common security and health threats. We hope to deepen this partnership over the long-term.

As a leading supporter of the African Development Bank I am delighted to participate in the Dakar 2: Feed Africa Summit on an issue that we all need to work together on.

With Russia’s war in Ukraine exacerbating the already drastic impacts of regional conflict in Africa and climate change on food security, I also want to hear directly from Macky Sall and other African leaders about the issues the continent is facing and understand how the UK can further support African countries as we face those challenges, together.

Senegal is a leading stable and democratic country in the region, growing in significance and influence, and the UK hopes to build a closer partnership and greater trade and investment ties over the long-term.

Economic development is crucial to tackling challenges like food insecurity and climate change and on his visit Mr Mitchell will explore opportunities to expand UK investment into the country to make a real and lasting positive impact. The UK-Africa Investment Summit in 2020 announced 27 deals worth over £6.5bn from across Africa. It also announced £9bn worth of investment decisions.

During his visit, he will see the impact of such investment to date, including a $1.7bn partnership between British International Investment and DP World which features a new container port at Ndayane, Senegal’s largest onshore investment. The port will enable the creation of over 20,000 new jobs and help unblock barriers to greater economic growth.

He will see the British Council’s landmark English Connects programme and visit the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health Programme (WISH) clinic where our delivery partner Marie Stopes International is increasing access to voluntary family planning, reaching those most in need.

Andrew Mitchell will also visit Institut Pasteur de Dakar to hear about their plans to develop vaccines for Covid and other deadly diseases.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 January 2023.

Statement delivered by Richard Croker, UK Ambassador to the General Assembly.

Thank you Mr Co-Chair,

The United Kingdom is proud to commence our membership on the United Nation’s Committee on NGOs. The value of this Committee cannot be overstated. Its existence reflects that the UN recognises the essential contribution of civil society to our work. Civil society enriches the evidence base at our disposal, making our meetings more effective and more substantial. All this helps ensure that what we do here has impact on the ground. Therefore we begin our membership with the understanding of the responsibility that comes with it.

As demonstrated through our actions here at the UN, the UK is committed to championing civil society engagement. Regrettably, we do this in the face of opposition. A small group of Member States oppose civil society engagement with the UN, and seek to stifle their voices, fearing the scrutiny that civil society provides. We intend to seek approval of all applications from all legitimate NGOs. Therefore our scrutiny of NGOs will be only on the following categories in line with 1996/31.

The NGO must exist and be currently active.

The NGO is independent of government, with a majority of positions filled by individuals without government connection.

The NGO does not cause harm to people, property, or the environment.

The NGO and its staff are in adherence to the UN Charter, in that it does not engage in politically motivated attacks against member states, nor verifiably benefit from proceeds of criminal activity.

In recent years, this Committee has witnessed ever-increasing politicised deferrals – part of a wider trend of increasing reprisals against civil society actors who seek to engage with the UN. We encourage all Committee Members to use a fair and objective review process, and avoid blocking NGO applications for political reasons.

Such a commitment will foster deeper civil society engagement at the UN, while helping to reduce the backlog in applications. As Members, we all have an interest in making this Committee as effective and efficient as possible. That is why the UK is supportive of any effort designed to improve the working methods of the Committee.

In order to help deliver the Secretary-General’s Commitment to inclusive multilateralism, we urge all Committee Members to facilitate a safe and welcoming space for civil society participation at the UN.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 January 2023.

Mr Simon Walters has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the State of Israel in succession to Mr Neil Wigan OBE who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.

Mr Walters will take up his appointment during August 2023.

Curriculum vitae

Dates	Role
2022 to present	Full Time Language Training, Hebrew
2019 to 2022	FCDO, Director National Security for Middle East and Africa
2017 to 2019	FCO, Director, Policy and Requirements
2016 to 2017	FCO, Regional Lead for South-Eastern Europe, Istanbul
2013 to 2016	FCO, Head, Global Prosperity Team
2011 to 2013	FCO, Head, Arabian Peninsula Team
2008 to 2011	Jerusalem, Her Majesty’s Consul
2006 to 2008	FCO, Private Secretary to PUS
1999 to 2006	Postings in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen
1998 to 1999	Full Time Language Training (Arabic), Cairo

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 January 2023.

The Foreign Secretary has announced further sanctions on Iranian regime officials, including on Deputy Prosecutor General Ahmad Fazelian.

The UK is placing further sanctions on regime officials in Iran today, including on Deputy Prosecutor General Ahmad Fazelian.

These sanctions, alongside designations by the European Union and the United States, demonstrate the international community’s unified condemnation of the horrific violence the Iranian regime is inflicting on its own people, including the execution of dual British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari.

Alongside the Prosecutor General in Iran, whom the UK sanctioned last week, Fazelian is responsible for a judicial system characterised by unfair trials and egregious punishments, including use of the death penalty for political purposes. Last week Alireza Akbari tragically became a victim of this brutal system.

The list of sanctions imposed today also includes:

• Kiyumars Heidari, Commander in Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ground Forces – Heidari has publicly admitted to his and his force’s involvement in the violent response to the November 2019 protests that led to the death of at least hundreds of protesters, and he continues to order the repression of protests today.
• Hossein Nejat, Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Sarallah HQ – Sarallah is the division of the IRGC responsible for the security of Tehran, where we have seen some of the most brutal violence against the Iranian people.
• The Basij Resistance Force – The Basij force within the IRGC are mobilized by the regime leadership to enforce the brutal repression on the streets of Iran.
• Salar Abnoush, Deputy Commander of the Basij –  Abnoush has publicly described his command-and-control role over Basij forces and continues to lead their repressive tactics today.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Those sanctioned today, from the judicial figures using the death penalty for political ends to the thugs beating protestors on the streets, are at the heart of the regime’s brutal repression of the Iranian people.

The UK and our partners have sent a clear message through these sanctions that there will be no hiding place for those guilty of the worst human rights violations.

The UK has now imposed 50 new sanctions in response to human rights violations by the Iranian regime since Mahsa Amini’s death and will continue to take a wide range of actions to hold the regime to account.

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

Further information

The full list of those sanctioned today is:

Entities:

• Basij Resistance Force
• The Basij Co-operative Foundation

Individuals:

• Ahmad Fazelian, Deputy Prosecutor General
• Kiyumars Heidari, Commander in Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ground Forces
• Salar Abnoush, Deputy Commander of the Basij
• Qasem Rezaei, Deputy Commander of the Law Enforcement Force (LEF)
• Hossein Nejat, Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Sarallah HQ

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 January 2023.

The UK will play a leading role in a core group of likeminded partners to pursue criminal accountability for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has announced today, Friday 20 January.

Alongside other international partners invited by Ukraine, the UK will shape thinking on how to ensure criminal accountability for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

This includes assessing the feasibility of a new ‘hybrid’ tribunal (a specialised court integrated into Ukraine’s national justice system with international elements).

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an outrageous violation of the rules-based international order. The atrocities we’ve witnessed in Ukraine are diabolical – thousands of soldiers and civilians killed, and millions more displaced, forced to flee for their lives in the most horrific circumstances.

These atrocities must not go unpunished. That’s why the UK has accepted Ukraine’s invitation to join this coalition, bringing our legal expertise to the table to explore options to ensure Russia’s leaders are held to account fully for their actions.

An investigation into the Crime of Aggression could complement established mechanisms for investigating war crimes, including the International Criminal Court and Ukraine’s domestic legal process. Together these parallel processes would help ensure all crimes are fully investigated and that perpetrators are held to account.

In joining this additional core group focused on Crimes of Aggression, the UK will complement its previous support in the pursuit of accountability for Russia’s actions.

In March 2022 the UK led efforts to refer the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has now secured the support of 42 other countries. We have also provided £1 million of UK funding for the International Criminal Court to increase its collection of evidence capacity and provide enhanced psychosocial support to witnesses and survivors. Looking ahead, in March 2023 the UK and Netherlands will co-host an international meeting of Justice Ministers in London to encourage more practical support for the ICC’s work.

The UK has also co-founded the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) with the US and the EU to directly support the War Crimes Units of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine in its investigations, and appointed Sir Howard Morrison KC as an Independent Advisor to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General.

Through the ACA, the UK has funded a £2.5 million package of assistance including training for more than 90 Ukrainian judges, the deployment of Mobile Justice Teams to the scene of potential war crimes, forensic evidence gathering, and support from UK experts in sexual violence in conflict.

Attorney General Victoria Prentis said:

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is barbaric. The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, and we are committed to helping them secure justice for a growing catalogue of war crimes.

Ukraine’s resolve in bringing prosecutions in the middle of a live conflict is extraordinary. By providing funding and legal expertise to Ukraine’s domestic prosecutors and judicial system, the UK is helping them to investigate atrocities committed on Ukrainian soil and, where appropriate, bring speedy prosecutions in Ukrainian courts.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 January 2023.

• Minister for the Indo-Pacific held talks with government counterparts and business representatives on a week-long visit to Japan
• trip showcased cutting edge science and tech collaboration between the UK and Japan, one of its closest partners in the region
• visit follows the signing of a landmark new defence agreement between the UK and Japan to deepen key security partnership in the Indo-Pacific

In a milestone year for Japan, as it assumes its G7 presidency, the UK has committed to doing more with one of its closest Indo-Pacific partners to boost ties and robustly defend democracy, peace and freedom.

Following the recent signing of the landmark UK-Japan Reciprocal Access Agreement in London, Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan spent the week in Japan, seeing first-hand the vital collaboration between the 2 countries on everything from trade to education.

Defence and security are at the heart of the UK-Japan relationship, with the newly announced treaty allowing UK and Japanese armed forces to more easily carry out joint training activities and exercises.

This builds on increasingly close military ties, including the Global Combat Air Programme announced in December 2022, and cements the UK’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific.

Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

Japan is one of our closest partners in Asia. From science and innovation to defence and digital, we are developing a modern, cutting-edge partnership that is rooted in our shared values.

My visit has showcased the depth of that collaboration, with so many more opportunities for investment, research and talent to be shared between our 2 countries.

The Minister saw Cambridge-based AstraZeneca’s Tokyo headquarters, where she set out the UK’s ambition to deepen collaboration with Japan in research, technology and innovation as 2 leading science superpowers. Deepening these links will grow both countries’ economies, creating better-paid jobs and opportunities right across the UK and Japan.

While in Japan’s capital, the Minister met Japanese graduates from UK universities to launch a new British Council alumni network, which will maintain the strong links between the UK and Japan’s world leading universities. The Minister also attended a Women in Parliament event alongside Japanese MPs, to hear about initiatives to promote women’s participation in political life.

Beyond Tokyo, the Minister travelled to Kobe to visit leading healthcare technology firm Medicaroid to hear about its work developing the next generation of surgical robots, supported by investors to the UK Sysmex and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

In Osaka, the Minister met with the Organising Committee of the Osaka Kansai Expo 2025 and held talks with senior business figures, including the head of the Kankeiren, a regional federation of 1,300 businesses, organisations and educational corporations. They discussed the UK government’s ambition to strengthen economic ties with companies across Japan, as well as the benefits of the UK joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership trading bloc (CPTPP) as accession talks continue. Joining the CPTPP will bring the UK closer to a dynamic group of economies in the Indo-Pacific, including Japan, creating opportunities for cooperation not only on trade but also to uphold shared values.

In Hiroshima, the Minister visited the Peace Memorial Museum and Park to lay a wreath and meet atomic bomb survivors, and reiterated the UK’s commitment to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons. She also met the Mayor and Governor of Hiroshima as the city prepares to host the G7 Leaders’ Summit in May.

Minister Trevelyan met counterparts from the Japanese Government including Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kenji Yamada, with whom she discussed Japan’s priorities for its G7 presidency and explored what both countries can do to accelerate support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. The Minister also held meetings with Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Fusae Ota, and Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The trip underlines the UK’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reiterated to Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on his visit to London last week. The region is not only home to likeminded partners with whom the UK shares fundamental beliefs in peace and democracy, but also many of the world’s fastest-growing economies, making it critical to UK prosperity.