Tag: Foreign Office

The statement issued by the Foreign Office on 11 February 2023.

Statement of Embassies and international organizations accredited to Honduras regarding the election process of the Supreme Court of Justice.

The Embassies of Germany, Canada, Spain, the United States, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Romania, as well as the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States, the United Nations system, and the European Union in Honduras reiterate the need to an election process for the Supreme Court of Justice that is democratic, transparent and respectful of the rule of law.

We call on all political parties to dialogue, avoid polarizing language and reach an agreement within the constitutional framework. We appeal to all actors to refrain from any destabilizing action or expression against the Constitution.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 February 2023.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announces new sanctions that target 3 influential Bulgarian individuals involved in offences including abuse of public institution funds.

• the UK and US are taking coordinated action to root out corruption in Bulgaria
• transparency International ranks Bulgaria as one of the countries most harmed by corruption in Europe

A former member of parliament, an ex-national security official and Bulgaria’s richest man have been sanctioned by the UK and US for abusing their positions of power by redirecting state funds for their own benefit. The 3 prominent Bulgarians have today (Friday 10 February) been handed travel bans and asset freezes under the UK’s Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Those sanctioned have deprived the people of Bulgaria of resources crucial to its economic and social development. Money that should have been used to fix roads, build hospitals and support economic growth has instead ended up in the pockets of corrupt individuals.

The UK is acting in close coordination with the US to support Bulgaria in its efforts to tackle corruption and strengthen the rule of law by sanctioning these corrupt figures.

The sanctioned individuals are:

• Delyan Peevski: a former Member of Parliament and media mogul. Peevski has been involved in attempts to exert control over key institutions and sectors in Bulgarian society through bribery and use of his media empire
• Ilko Zhelyazkov: a former national security official and board member of Bulgaria’s largest state energy company, who used his position to redirect a lucrative state contract for his own gain
• Vasil Bozhkov: reportedly Bulgaria’s richest man, who made his fortune in the gambling industry. Bozhkov used bribery extensively to protect his business interests

The UK is combatting corruption around the world and will continue to use all levers at our disposal to tackle corrupt actors wherever we see them.

The UK government has sanctioned 35 individuals and entities, including the 3 today, under the Global Anti-Corruption regime since its introduction in April 2021.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 February 2023.

Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, has visited Brunei and Thailand this week, with talks focusing on trade, security and science.

As the UK seeks to deepen its ties with countries across Southeast Asia, Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan spent the week in Brunei and Thailand to build closer links on trade, security and science.

In Bangkok, the Minister hosted humanitarian groups for discussions about the situation in neighbouring Myanmar. The crisis has caused hundreds of thousands of victims to be displaced, including over the border into Thailand, fleeing the military junta’s violence.

The UK is one of the largest humanitarian donors with long-established programmes in the southeast of Myanmar and along the Thai border, supporting refugees with healthcare, shelter and sanitation.

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

As two key members of ASEAN, Brunei and Thailand are vital partners for the UK as we deepen our ties across Southeast Asia.

From trade and tech to science and security, we are determined to do more together, reaping the benefits at home and across the region”.

While in the Thai capital, the Minister also met her counterpart Vice Foreign Minister Dr Vijavat Isarabhakdi. Topics covered pressing regional and global issues.

Thailand is an essential partner for the UK, with 2-way trade standing at over £5 billion, with more than 5,000 UK businesses exporting to Thailand, benefiting both countries. The Government also recently signed a new partnership with Thailand to share expertise of genome sequencing, collaborate in research and education, and help prevent, diagnose and treat major diseases.

Earlier in the week, the Minister was in Brunei for the UK-Brunei Strategic Dialogue alongside Second Foreign Minister Dato Erywan. The Minister was also granted an audience with His Majesty the Sultan.

The Minister saw work to conserve Brunei’s tropical rainforests in action with a visit to the Kuala Belalong Field Centre, established during a joint expedition of the UK’s Royal Geographical Society and the University of Brunei Darussalam. During the visit the Minister met British researchers working side-by-side with their Bruneian counterparts to study and conserve the rainforest’s diverse wildlife.

The Indo-Pacific is home to likeminded partners with whom the UK shares fundamental beliefs in peace and democracy as well as many of the world’s fastest-growing economies. The region is critical to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s commitment to economic growth and building prosperity, with a stronger economy at home forming the foundation of the UK’s strength abroad.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 February 2023.

Deputy Ambassador Brown says Russia has waged a campaign of disinformation throughout the build up to their illegal invasion and in the months since.

Thank you, Mr Chair. On Monday, a Moscow court sentenced Russian journalist Veronika Belotserkovskaya in absentia to nine years in prison for spreading supposed “fakes” about the Russian army’s actions in Ukraine.  Therefore our statement will focus on Russian disinformation. On the distractions and lies Russia sought to proliferate in the build up to its illegal invasion and in the months since.

Ms Belotserkovskaya was convicted for her reporting of human rights abuses by the Russian armed forces against civilians, in Bucha and Mariupol.

Russia’s persecution of journalists for reporting on the war contradicts the 2018 OSCE Ministerial Council Decision on Safety of Journalists. This is a commitment that all participating States have freely signed up to in order to provide a safe, enabling environment for journalists, ensuring we fully comply with international human rights law and OSCE Commitments.  Ms Belotserkovskaya’s sentencing is just the latest in a series of Russian attempts to suppress the truth. When the Russian state punishes journalists who seek out the truth, it ceases to have any grasp of reality.

A year ago, on the 20th January, in this very room, the Russian Delegation claimed that “the myth of Russia’s alleged ‘imminent invasion’ has been hyped up”.

On the 3 February our colleagues stated that the West was “speculating obsessively about an alleged impending Russian invasion” which were “only unsubstantiated conjectures”. On the 10th February, they said such claims were ‘mythical’.

On the 17 February our colleagues said the West had “spread fake information and distorted the real state of affairs”. Russia, in contrast, “would keep on calling for effective dialogue” as “conflict in eastern Ukraine can and must be stopped”.

On the 21 February, they stressed that “the key to lasting peace, the restoration of civil accord in Ukraine and the defusing of the tension around this country lies in the implementation of the Minsk agreements in good faith”.

That very evening the Russian Federation contradicted itself in recognising Luhansk and Donetsk as so-called “independent states”, thereby abandoning the same Minsk agreements they had, just hours ago, claimed were the key to peace.

And on 24 February, having denied, week in, week out, their true intentions, Russia launched its horrific invasion of Ukraine’s sovereign territory – a fellow participating State of the OSCE. Contravening the Helsinki Final Act and trampling on the foundational commitments of this organisation.

Mr Chair, Russia waged a campaign of disinformation throughout the build up to their illegal invasion.  A campaign that they persist in pursuing to this day. This campaign of disinformation is recorded in the archives for posterity. No amount of disinformation can rewrite Russia’s lies and deceit.

Nor can they silence the international community, as they have tried to silence their own country. Investigations by ODIHR, the Moscow Mechanism and the UN following the invasion attest to the Kremlin’s continued failure to conceal its cruelty.

The UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine’s October 2022 report details just some of the horrors of Russia’s invasion. Civilians shot at while fleeing Russian armed forces; summary executions, torture and sexual violence in areas under temporary Russian control. The list goes on and on. There is no doubt as to Russia’s culpability for atrocities and human rights violations carried out in Ukraine. We will hold perpetrators to account for the atrocities and war crimes they have committed. The truth will out.

Mr Chair, in the face of a concerted Russian disinformation campaign, one thing is certain. The United Kingdom will continue support those seeking the truth. President Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK is a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our two countries. Our commitments announced during the visit represent a long-term pledge to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine, ensuring our Ukrainian friends have the support they need to defend their territorial integrity, in the face of Russia’s illegal invasion, for as long as it takes.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 February 2023.

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

Thank you, Under Secretary General Voronkov, Acting Executive Director Chen and Franziska Praxl, for your informative briefings. We are grateful to the UN for all its efforts in the fight against terrorism.

Last year, the Daesh terror campaign was dealt a severe blow by the death of two of its leaders.

But despite this, the threat from Daesh and its affiliates continues to grow and to evolve as we’ve heard today.

A resurgence of Daesh core in Syria and Iraq remains a significant danger. We need to maintain our resolve, including through the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh.

In 2022, for the first time in Daesh’s history, the majority of Daesh attacks took place outside their core focus of Syria and Iraq.

We have a collective responsibility as UN members to use all the legal tools and levers at our disposal to counter this threat.

In Afghanistan, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) continues to show it has the capacity to carry out high profile attacks on civilian and international targets inside the country, and to use it as a base to encourage attacks abroad.

This Council must continue to demand of the Taliban that Afghan territory does not provide a shelter for terrorist groups.

We are also deeply concerned about the spread of the Daesh through its affiliates across Africa.

Instability, famine and climate-related crises are creating conditions that are being exploited by terrorist groups.

We must rally the UN system behind an approach that tackles the drivers of these conditions.

The Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace is an opportunity to galvanise this work.

We must also use UN sanctions regimes rigorously to prevent the proliferation to terrorist groups and to choke off their access to finance.

There is one other point to note in all of this: the Secretary-General’s report is clear that the presence of non-state armed groups is a destabilising factor. Groups like Wagner are not the answer.

As the Secretary General also notes in his report, we must ensure all counter terrorism efforts involve civil society, are gender sensitive and anchored in human rights.

President, in closing, please allow me to underscore the UK’s commitment to working together, including in this Council, to continue the global fight against all forms of terrorism and violent extremism.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 February 2023.

Given the difficulties in accessing affected areas in North West Syria, the UK will be providing additional funding to aid major search-and-rescue operations.

• Increased support to provide life-saving Search and Rescue and emergency relief operations in North West Syria.
• At least an additional £3m funding, bringing our total to £3.8m, which will enable enhanced operational capacity of the White Helmets (Syria Civil Defence)
• This will support recovery projects including assessing building safety, reopening roads and reconnecting utilities.
• Over 2,500 White Helmets volunteers are involved in the response across some 40 communities in northwest Syria.

Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said:

The White Helmets are playing a critical and life-saving role in Syria in the most desperate circumstances following the earthquakes.

The UK is proud of our longstanding partnership with them. The White Helmets, throughout the conflict, have demonstrated unwavering commitment and dedication. This has included saving over 115,000 lives and providing essential services to more than four million Syrians.

Our collective priority now is to ensure life-saving assistance is given to those most in need. The White Helmets are best placed to deliver this in North West Syria.

The UK is giving at least an additional £3m to aid the White Helmets major search-and-rescue operations. This takes our total funding to the White Helmets this week to £3.8m following the announcement on 7 February by Lord Ahmad.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 February 2023.

The UK government commits to play a key role in promoting stability and prosperity in the Arctic.

The UK is today committing to play a key role in promoting stability and prosperity in the Arctic, as climate change triggers dramatic upheaval in the region.

Under an updated policy framework, the UK government sets out how it will be the best possible neighbour for Arctic countries – partnering closely on environmental protection, scientific co-operation, defence and security, and trade.

While the UK is not an Arctic state, it is directly affected by changes in the region as its nearest neighbour with much shared biodiversity. The Arctic is warming at 4 times the global average, increasing the risk of extreme weather, flooding and environmental degradation.

Tackling climate change, halting biodiversity loss and upholding the rights of indigenous communities will therefore be at the heart of the UK’s Arctic policy.

Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine last year has fundamentally undermined the peaceful co-operation and low tension that has characterised the 8-member Arctic Council – to which the UK is a State Observer – since its inception in 1996.

Melting sea ice is also increasing geopolitical interest and competition in the region, with countries exploring the possibility of new shipping routes through Arctic waters.

The new framework, Looking North, sets out how the UK will use its scientific, military and diplomatic strengths to respond to these challenges and opportunities.

Looking North was formally launched at a reception on 9 February 2023 by Lord Goldsmith, Minister of State with responsibility for the polar regions at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. He said:

The Arctic matters to the UK. We are the region’s nearest neighbour and share a common interest in its environment, security and prosperity.

Our new policy framework sets out how we will be an active, reliable and influential partner in the Arctic – at a time of heightened geopolitical tension and with climate change posing an existential threat to the region as we know it.

Drawing on our scientific, diplomatic and military strengths, the UK will work closely with our partners in the region to achieve our shared vision of a clean, green and stable Arctic.

Drafted through engagement with Arctic partners, Looking North brings all existing UK policies relevant to the Arctic together, in line with the 2021 Integrated Review. It builds on the UK’s 2018 framework, Beyond the ice and integrates The UK’s Defence Contribution in the High North launched by the Ministry of Defence last year.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 February 2023.

The UK has sanctioned 7 Russian cyber criminals through coordinated actions with the US government.

• seven Russian nationals have assets frozen and travel bans imposed
• ransomware is a tier 1 national security threat, with attacks against businesses and public sector organisations increasingly common. Recent victims include UK schools, local authorities and firms – whilst internationally the Irish Health Service Executive, Costa Rican government and American healthcare providers were targeted
• new campaign of concerted action is being coordinated with the US, after 149 British victims of ransomware known as Conti and Ryuk were identified by the National Crime Agency (NCA)

Seven Russian cyber criminals have today (Thursday 9 February) been sanctioned by the UK and US in the first wave of new coordinated action against international cyber crime. These individuals have been associated with the development or deployment of a range of ransomware strains which have targeted the UK and US.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

By sanctioning these cyber criminals, we are sending a clear signal to them and others involved in ransomware that they will be held to account.

These cynical cyber attacks cause real damage to people’s lives and livelihoods. We will always put our national security first by protecting the UK and our allies from serious organised crime – whatever its form and wherever it originates.

Ransomware criminals specifically target the systems of organisations they judge will pay them the most money and time their attacks to cause maximum damage, including targeting hospitals in the middle of the pandemic.

Ransomware groups known as Conti, Wizard Spider, UNC1878, Gold Blackburn, Trickman and Trickbot have been responsible for the development and deployment of: Trickbot, Anchor, BazarLoader, BazarBackdoor as well as the ransomware strains Conti and Diavol. They are also involved in the deployment of Ryuk ransomware.

The ransomware strains known as Conti and Ryuk affected 149 UK individuals and businesses. The ransomware was responsible for extricating at least an estimated £27 million. There were 104 UK victims of the Conti strain who paid approximately £10 million and 45 victims of the Ryuk strain who paid approximately £17 million.

Conti was behind attacks that targeted hospitals, schools, businesses and local authorities, including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.  The group behind Conti extorted $180 million in ransomware in 2021 alone, according to research from Chainalysis.

Conti was one of the first cyber crime groups to back Russia’s war in Ukraine, voicing their support for the Kremlin within 24 hours of the invasion.

Although the ransomware group responsible for Conti disbanded in May 2022, reporting suggests members of the group continue to be involved in some of the most notorious new ransomware strains that dominate and threaten UK security.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said:

We’re targeting cyber criminals who have been involved in some of the most prolific and damaging forms of ransomware. Ransomware criminals have hit hospitals and schools, hurt many and disrupted lives, at great expense to the taxpayer.

Cyber crime knows no boundaries and threatens our national security. These sanctions identify and expose those responsible.

A wide range of organisations have been targeted by ransomware criminals, including at least 10 schools and universities in the UK, as well as hospitals, a forensic laboratory and local authorities. The Government of Costa Rica was also targeted last year.

Ireland’s Health Service Executive were targeted by ransomware actors during the COVID pandemic, leading to disruption to blood tests, x-rays, CT scans, radiotherapy and chemotherapy appointments over 10 days.

Another recent ransomware attack included Harrogate-based transportation and cold storage firm Reed Boardall whose IT systems were under attack for nearly a week in 2021.

These sanctions follow a complex, large-scale and ongoing investigation led by the NCA, which will continue to pursue all investigative lines of enquiry to disrupt the ransomware threat to the UK in collaboration with partners.

National Crime Agency Director-General Graeme Biggar said:

This is a hugely significant moment for the UK and our collaborative efforts with the US to disrupt international cyber criminals.

The sanctions are the first of their kind for the UK and signal the continuing campaign targeting those responsible for some of the most sophisticated and damaging ransomware that has impacted the UK and our allies. They show that these criminals and those that support them are not immune to UK action, and this is just one tool we will use to crack down on this threat and protect the public.

This is an excellent example of the dedication and expertise of the NCA team who have worked closely with partners on this complex investigation. We will continue to deploy our unique capabilities to expose cyber criminals and work alongside our international partners to hold those responsible to account, wherever they are in the world.

UK and US authorities will continue to expose these cyber criminals and crack down on their activities. This announcement of sanctions against 7 individuals marks the start of a campaign of coordinated action against ransomware actors being led by the UK and US.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of GCHQ, has assessed that:

• it is almost certain that the Conti group were primarily financially motivated and chose their targets based on the perceived value they could extort from them
• key group members highly likely maintain links to the Russian Intelligence Services from whom they have likely received tasking. The targeting of certain organisations, such as the International Olympic Committee, by the group almost certainly aligns with Russian state objectives
• it is highly likely that the group evolved from previous cyber organised crime groups and likely have extensive links to other cyber criminals, notably EvilCorp and those responsible for Ryuk ransomware

NCSC Chief Executive Officer Lindy Cameron said:

Ransomware is the most acute cyber threat facing the UK, and attacks by criminal groups show just how devastating its impact can be.

The NCSC is working with partners to bear down on ransomware attacks and those responsible, helping to prevent incidents and improve our collective resilience.

It is vital organisations take immediate steps to limit their risk by following the NCSC’s advice on how to put robust defences in place to protect their networks.

Victims of ransomware attacks should use the UK government’s Cyber Incident Signposting Site as soon as possible after an attack.

Today, the UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) are also publishing new public guidance which sets out the implications of these new sanctions in ransomware cases.

The individuals designated today are:

• Vitaliy Kovalev
• Valery Sedletski
• Valentin Karyagin
• Maksim Mikhailov
• Dmitry Pleshevskiy
• Mikhail Iskritskiy
• Ivan Vakhromeyev

Making funds available to the individuals such as paying ransomware, including in crypto assets, is prohibited under these sanctions. Organisations should have or should put in place robust cyber security and incident management systems in place to prevent and manage serious cyber incidents.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 February 2023.

Ian Stubbs says that giving Ukraine the support it needs to push Russia out of its sovereign territory is the swiftest and only path to peace.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 February 2023.

Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown thanks the three OSCE Committee chairs for their proposals to focus on Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2023.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you to the Chairs of the three Committees for presenting to the Permanent Council today. Ambassadors, we support the approaches you have proposed. Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine strikes at the very core of the obligations we have all freely signed up to as members of this organisation. It has created a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe, traumatised a generation of children and created a global food and energy crisis. Russia’s war must continue to command our full attention.

Ambassador Stoian, we welcome your appointment and proposed work-plan, particularly your focus on the protection of critical infrastructure, the impact of cyber-attacks, organised crime, border security and management, and the role of and impact on women and children in the conflict cycle. We fully support your approach to assess the current security environment and maintain a flexible agenda to take into account the evolutions of Russia’s premeditated and barbaric actions against Ukraine.

Ambassador Raunig, we welcome your proposed work-plan and in particular the inclusion of sessions on environmental degradation, biodiversity, water management, connectivity, food security, corruption, and energy security. All these issues have been affected by Russia’s on-going aggression – and must be addressed in that context.

We recognise the importance of the adoption of the Permanent Council decision necessary to begin the Economic and Environmental Forum cycle and we urge all delegations to agree to the draft circulated by the Chairpersonship.

Ambassador Callan, we welcome your appointment and proposed work-plan, in particular your focus on civil society, which can serve to reinforce the strong relationship the Human Dimension Committee has built with human rights defenders across the OSCE region. The topics freedom of the media, democratic institutions and freedom of assembly are also welcome, and provide ample opportunities to explore the link between internal repression of citizens’ rights and external aggression. We look forward to the Chair-in-Office’s Supplementary Meetings this year complementing and reinforcing the work of the Human Dimension Committee. We note the importance of having a space to discuss violations and abuses of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, including those documented in the Moscow Mechanism reports in 2022, which show no signs of abating this year.

Across the board, we welcome all attempts to ensure the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women. A more diverse range of opinion will improve the content of any discussions.

Mr Chair, Russia chooses to continue its path of aggression and destruction. The response from the international community has been consistent: a call for an end to the aggression; and for peace. We will continue to work in the three Committees, with our Chair-in-Office, and with the OSCE Secretariat, institutions, and field missions – to uphold our fundamental principles and values. For Ukraine, and for all of us in this room.

Thank you.