Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 December 2022.

Joint statement from Foreign Ministers on the Taliban’s ban on Afghan women working for NGOs.

The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States and the High Representative of the European Union are gravely concerned that the Taliban’s reckless and dangerous order barring female employees of national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from the workplace puts at risk millions of Afghans who depend on humanitarian assistance for their survival.  We call on the Taliban to urgently reverse this decision.

Women are absolutely central to humanitarian and basic needs operations.  Unless they participate in aid delivery in Afghanistan, NGOs will be unable to reach the country’s most vulnerable people to provide food, medicine, winterization, and other materials and services they need to live.  This would also affect the humanitarian assistance provided by international organizations, as international organizations utilize NGOs to deliver such materials and services.

The Taliban continue to demonstrate their contempt for the rights, freedoms, and welfare of the Afghan people, particularly women and girls, and their disinterest in normal relations with the international community.

We support the Afghan people’s calls for girls and women to return to work, school, and university, and for women to continue to play essential roles in humanitarian and basic needs assistance delivery, and we urge the Taliban to respect the political, economic, social, and cultural rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

To this end, we are in close contact with the United Nations, who are urging, also on behalf of all international donors, that the Taliban reverse this decision immediately.  This would avoid any disruption and allow the continuation of all humanitarian operations of international and national NGOs.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 December 2022.

Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom have issued a joint statement on Iran’s shooting down of Flight PS752 in January 2020, killing 176 civilians.

The International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752 today issued the following joint statement:

We, Ministers representing Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, have taken concrete action to ensure that our efforts to hold Iran to account for the unlawful downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (Flight PS752) can progress to the dispute settlement phase.

In particular, we have requested that Iran submits to binding arbitration of the dispute related to the downing of Flight PS752 by 2 surface-to-air missiles launched unlawfully and intentionally by members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air defence unit pursuant to Article 14 of the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation of 1971.

The Coordination Group remains committed to pursuing efforts to hold Iran accountable for its multiple breaches of its international legal obligations pursuant to several treaties.  This action is part of our broader approach to ensuring there is transparency, justice and accountability the victims and their families.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 December 2022.

The statement made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, on 24 December 2022.

Congratulations to Sitiveni Rabuka on his appointment as Fiji’s Prime Minister and all Fijian people on their democratic process.

As a Commonwealth partner, I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Rabuka and his government on shared priorities, including green growth, security and justice.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 December 2022.

The Foreign Ministers of the G7 had a call on 22 December 2022 to discuss a range of issues including Afghanistan and Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine

1. Today, in their 12th meeting this year, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, again condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine and expressed their full solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes. They underscored their steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognised borders.
2. Recalling previous G7 Foreign Ministers’ statements, they reiterated their strong condemnation of Russia’s illegal attempted annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory, which will never be recognized; atrocities committed by Russian armed forces, including those involving the killing of civilians, torture, reported executions, sexual violence, and deportations, including of children, to Russia. G7 members underlined there can be no impunity for war crimes and other atrocities. They will hold President Putin and those responsible to account in accordance with international law. G7 members reiterated that Russia’s weaponization of energy and food especially impacts the world’s most vulnerable and that Russia’s spreading of disinformation and false accusations, Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and Russia’s seizure and militarization of Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) are unacceptable. G7 members again underlined their full support for the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency to establish a nuclear safety and security zone at the ZNPP.
3. G7 members continue to call on Belarusian authorities to stop enabling the Russian war of aggression by permitting Russian armed forces to use Belarusian territory and by providing support to the Russian military. Any further active participation in the Russian illegal war of aggression would run counter to the will and aspirations of the Belarusian people. If the Belarusian authorities more directly involve Belarus in Russia’s war, the G7 will impose overwhelming additional costs on the regime.
4. Russia’s massive and deliberate attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, in particular energy, heating and water facilities, using missiles and Iranian drones, have left millions of Ukrainians in the dark and cold of winter. Through these barbaric attacks, Russia is trying to terrorize the civilian population. G7 members recalled that indiscriminate attacks, as well as attacks on the civilian population or civilian objects constitute a war crime. They underscored increased efforts to assist the Ukrainian people throughout this winter, including following the international conference held in Paris on 13 December, which furthered G7+ efforts to respond to the humanitarian emergency. Resolved to support Ukraine’s repair, recovery and reconstruction, G7 members recalled the importance of coordinating on further international support, including in the fields of critical infrastructure and of Ukraine’s recovery, and welcomed the recent agreement by G7 Leaders to establish a multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform.
5. G7 members committed to enhance and closely coordinate efforts to meet Ukraine’s urgent requirements for military and defense equipment, especially air defense. They underlined this is essential to save lives and prevent additional civilian suffering.
6. The G7 members also reiterated their full resolve to continue coordinating financial, material, humanitarian, defense, political, technical and legal assistance to support Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. They remained committed to the unprecedented coordinated sanctions measures in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. G7 members will maintain and intensify economic pressure on Russia and those who evade and undermine the restrictive measures. They encouraged third countries to join G7 efforts, including the coordinated action to reduce Russian revenues from the export of oil by leveraging the maximum price per barrel for seaborne Russian-origin crude oil set by the Price Cap Coalition. They reiterated their commitment to shielding vulnerable countries that are severely impacted by the repercussions of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and Russia’s weaponization of energy and food.
7. G7 members commended the bravery of the Ukrainian people in their fight for their country. The G7 firmly supported efforts to secure Ukraine’s immediate financial stability and support its recovery and reconstruction towards a sustainable, prosperous future, and encouraged Ukraine’s reform agenda. They remained committed to fully supporting Ukraine in securing its free and democratic future in line with its European path. They highlighted shared values of freedom and democracy, and are committed to upholding the rules-based multilateral order and international cooperation.
8. G7 members welcomed and supported President Zelenskyy’s efforts to promote a just and lasting peace. Russia can end this war immediately by ceasing its attacks against Ukraine and completely and unconditionally withdrawing its forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders. G7 members again called on Russia to do so immediately.

Afghanistan

1. The G7 members strongly condemned the Taliban’s recent decision to ban women from universities, to continue to bar girls from secondary schools, and to impose other harsh restrictions on the ability of women and girls in Afghanistan to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms. They urged the Taliban to abandon the ban on university education for women and to reverse without delay the existing decision to prohibit girls’ access to secondary school. The recent measures by the Taliban, in conjunction with previous cumulative measures restricting the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan, are extremely concerning and seem to be a systematic policy. Gender persecution may amount to a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute, to which Afghanistan is a State Party. The G7 members stand with all Afghans in their demand to exercise their human rights consistent with Afghanistan’s obligations under international law. Taliban policies designed to erase women from public life will have consequences for how our countries engage with the Taliban.

Handover of the G7 Presidency to Japan

1. Under the German Presidency in 2022, G7 members, together with their international partners, have demonstrated unity and resolve in supporting Ukraine, building on their shared values and commitment to the rules-based international order, with the UN Charter at its core. G7 members will continue to work with others to mitigate the global consequences of the war that Russia has unleashed on Ukraine, harming Ukraine and the world’s most vulnerable. The G7 stands ready to continue and further strengthen this commitment under the upcoming Japanese G7 Presidency in 2023.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 December 2022.

North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles from its capital Pyongyang’s Sunan area on Friday, according to reports by the South Korean military.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 December 2022.

An agreement between Italy and the UK to allow the exchange of driving licences without the need to take a test has been signed today. Edward Llewellyn, the British Ambassador to Italy and Inigo Lambertini, the Italian Ambassador to the UK, met this morning to sign the agreement at the Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome.

The agreement will allow holders of driving licences issued in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and Gibraltar, who live in Italy, to apply to exchange their driving licence for an Italian one*. The agreement also makes provision for exchange of expired licences [up to a period of 5 years/for up to 5 years after their date of expiry] as well as lost and stolen licences, subject to domestic procedures.

The British Ambassador to Italy, Ed Llewellyn, said today:

I am delighted to announce that, after intensive work between London and Rome over many months, an agreement has been reached with the Italian authorities which will enable a UK driving licence to be exchanged for an Italian one for UK licence holders living in Italy without having to take any exam, either written or practical. This is great news for British citizens and UK licence holders living in Italy.

This has been a complex negotiation. The agreement we have reached is the result of very close cooperation with our Italian colleagues, reflecting the close ties between our countries. I would like to thank the Italian Government, as well as my colleagues in London and at the British Embassy in Rome, for all they have done to deliver this agreement.

We are now working hard with the Italian Government to bring the agreement into effect as quickly as possible after ratification on both sides. In the meantime, we are making arrangements with the Italian authorities to ensure that UK licences will continue to be recognised beyond 31 December 2022 for a further 12 months.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 December 2022.

A statement from the Foreign Secretary following his call with the family of Harry Dunn this afternoon.

Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly said:

I had the opportunity to speak with the Dunn family today, and listen carefully to their concerns and hear about the pain they have gone through.  They have shown incredible resolve getting justice for Harry.

We have learnt important lessons from this tragic incident, including improvements to the process around exemptions from diplomatic immunity and ensuring the US takes steps to improve road safety around RAF Croughton.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 December 2022.

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

Thank you, President and to our briefers –– including the new 2653 Committee Chair for their first update. I also welcome foreign ministers of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and the Permanent Representative of Canada.

President, the United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by the ongoing dire humanitarian situation in Haiti, which is being compounded by chronic insecurity and political gridlock.

As we heard today so clearly from the DSG and SRSG La Lime, the actions of armed gangs have displaced thousands, limited free movement of people and goods and denied citizens access to medical services during a resurgent Cholera outbreak.

The United Kingdom remains convinced that the perpetrators and sponsors of the gang violence must be held to account and denied the capacity to spread further instability and suffering.

So we are pleased to see progress on sanctions that are imperative in tackling criminal behaviour. These sanctions are a necessary tool to break the cycle of criminal violence that so disastrously impacts the Haitian people.

However, sanctions alone will not work. This is why the International Community must consider seriously any request for assistance from the Haitian government and society, including on security.

This must support and empower Haitian efforts to improve the security situation on the ground to create the conditions for elections, so that the Haitian people may choose their next government.

The United Kingdom continues to support action that moves Haiti closer to security and stability, with a return to democratic processes as soon as possible.

We therefore welcome signs of movement towards resolving the political gridlock. But there must now be determined efforts to reach a political consensus. An urgent route forward is needed to address the insecurity, humanitarian and economic crises and avoid further deterioration of the situation.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 December 2022.

The UK supports the US assessment that North Korea has completed an arms delivery to Russia for the use by the Wagner Group in Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

Following the US release of information that North Korea has been supplying arms to the Russian mercenary group Wagner, in breach of UN Security Council resolutions, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK supports the US assessment that North Korea has completed an arms delivery to Russia for use by the Wagner Group, which paid for this equipment and has thousands of troops in Ukraine. This is a clear breach of UN Security Council Resolutions. The fact that President Putin is turning to North Korea for help is a sign of Russia’s desperation and isolation. We will work with our partners to ensure that North Korea pays a high price for supporting Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has been under UK sanctions since 2020. In November 2022 the UK sanctioned two individuals for conscripting prisoners to the Wagner Group, which has been linked to some of the worst atrocities in Russia’s illegal war.

Background:

President Putin has increasingly turned to Wagner, owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin for military support in Ukraine. Prigozhin is spending more than $100 million per month to fund Wagner’s operations in Ukraine. Wagner is recruiting prisoners, including those with serious medical conditions, to fight in Ukraine.

For months, the Russian military has been relying on Wagner to lead combat operations in parts of the Donbas. In certain instances, Russian military officials are actually subordinate to Wagner’s command. We estimate that Wagner has 50,000 personnel deployed to Ukraine, including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convicts.

Wagner is playing a major role in Bakhmut where its ill-equipped and ill-trained forces are suffering heavy casualties. Approximately 1,000 Wagner fighters have been killed in the fighting in recent weeks, and 90 per cent of those fatalities were convicts. In recent dates, Ukraine appears to have repulsed an offensive by Wagner forces in Bakhmut.