Tag: Foreign Office

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

Thank you President. And let me thank Special Envoy Grundberg and Ms Ghelani for their briefing today.

We are encouraged that most truce measures continue to hold since the lack of extension in October, and we call for an end to the disturbing pattern of terrorist attacks on international shipping from the Houthis.

The targeting of ships in the Southern ports of Al-Dabba and Qena poses a serious threat to peace and risks depriving millions of Yemenis from access to basic goods.

We call on the Houthis to take the peaceful route, by pursuing a negotiated, Yemeni-led political settlement under UN auspices.

President,

The humanitarian crisis continues to suffer from interwoven challenges. The Independent Interagency Humanitarian Evaluation found that, despite its growing scale, much of the aid quality was “unacceptably low”.

The relative peace of the last eight months has not alleviated the impact of the preceding years of violent war. 17 million Yemenis remain exposed to an acute food insecurity crisis with many more projected to be affected in coming years.

This humanitarian crisis underlines the importance of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, recently renewed until March. It has facilitated the import of over 60,000 metric tonnes of wheat into Yemen this month and will continue to be an important lifeline for Yemenis as we’ve heard again today from Ms Ghelani.

Internal displacement remains prevalent across Yemen. For those who do choose to return home, the risks of explosive remnants of war is real. The UK is supportive of ongoing demining initiatives, and urges the international community to unite behind this issue.

President,

As we approach the start of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the UK reiterates its commitment to working towards a future where all women and girls live free from the fear of violence. We call for an end to the Houthi-imposed Mahram restrictions that are directly curbing the freedoms of Yemeni women.

President,

The only permanent resolution to all these issues is long-term peace. And as I said, this will require a negotiated, Yemeni-led political settlement under UN auspices.

The truce continues to represent the best opportunity for progress and for the sake of the Yemeni people, this opportunity must not be squandered.

Thank you.

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

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

The UK, France and Germany (the E3) have issued a joint statement condemning the Iranian regime’s decision to further expand its nuclear programme.

The E3 said:

We, the governments of France, Germany and the United Kingdom condemn Iran’s latest steps, as confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to further expand its nuclear programme.

By increasing its production capabilities at Fordow and Natanz, well beyond Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) limits, and by accelerating its production of enriched uranium, Iran has taken further significant steps in hollowing out the JCPoA.

Especially concerning is Iran’s decision to increase its production of High Enriched Uranium (HEU) at its underground facility at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. Iran’s step is a challenge to the global non-proliferation system. This step, which carries significant proliferation-related risks, has no credible civilian justification.

Iran’s actions are even more concerning since, 5 months ago, Iran stopped implementing all JCPoA-related transparency measures.

Presenting this escalation as a reaction to the IAEA Board of Governors’ adoption of a resolution calling for Iran’s cooperation on safeguards is unacceptable. Iran is legally obliged under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to fully implement its safeguards agreement.

We will continue to consult, alongside international partners, on how best to address Iran’s continued nuclear escalation.

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

Statement by Alice Jacobs at the Security Council briefing on piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea.

Thank you President.

The United Kingdom welcomes this briefing on the findings of the Secretary General’s report on piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea. And thank you to all our briefers today. We also welcome the advisory note of the Peacebuilding Commission

President, I would like to make three brief points today. Firstly, the United Kingdom is pleased to note the decline in incidents and the strength of regional cooperation in tackling the issue. We are proud of our own collaboration with partners to promote security and stability – from putting the issue at the heart of our G7 Presidency, to the naval visit by HMS Trent to defer attacks on maritime trade.

Secondly, as the Secretary General’s report notes, the drivers of piracy are complex and multi-faceted. We encourage a continued focus on the impact of poverty, youth unemployment and environmental degradation in contributing to criminal activity. Engagement is needed at all levels, including community-based responses, and the UK will continue to work closely with partners in support to a holistic approach in the Gulf of Guinea.

Finally, we reiterate the importance of any efforts to tackle piracy and armed robbery complying with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is the legal framework within which all activities in the ocean and seas are carried out, and aligning closely with the provisions of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 November 2022.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile test.

Thank you President, and I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her briefing.

We too condemn in the strongest terms DPRK’s further serious breach of Council resolutions, which threatens international peace and security.

The Council last discussed the DPRK’s ballistic missile launches just over two weeks ago. At that meeting, all but two Council members emphasised the seriousness of the situation and supported a clear response. Yet despite the egregious violation of Council resolutions, the same two members prevented the Council from fulfilling its role.

When the DPRK tested intercontinental ballistic missiles in 2017, the Council’s response on each occasion was robust and unified, with the unanimous adoption of resolutions 2371, 2375 and 2379. Negotiations between the DPRK and the US began within months.

A return to dialogue remains the only means of resolving insecurity on the Korean Peninsula. However, continued Council silence in the face of DPRK’s provocations will not achieve this. We therefore support the draft Presidential Statement proposed by the US. The UK will continue to call upon DPRK to cease its illegal activity and to engage meaningfully with offers of dialogue from the United States and the Republic of Korea. Diplomacy remains the only option..

President, we strongly encourage the DPRK to invest in food and medicine for its people rather than its illegal weapons programme, to provide access for UN staff, and allow aid to flow freely into the country. We welcome the 1718 Committee’s continued efforts to quickly exempt humanitarian assistance from sanctions.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 November 2022.

Mr Giles Portman has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to Romania in succession to Mr Andrew Noble LVO. Mr Portman will take up his appointment during October 2023.

Curriculum vitae

Full name: Giles Matthew Portman

Married to: Lucie Portman

Children: 2

Dates	Role
2021 to 2022	FCDO, Director Europe, Europe Directorate
2020 to 2021	FCDO, Director EU Exit, Europe Directorate
2019 to 2020	FCO, Deputy Director EU Foreign and Security Policy, Europe Directorate
2015 to 2019	European External Action Service, Brussels, Head of East Stratcom Task Force
2011 to 2015	European External Action Service, Brussels, Adviser to the High Representative/Vice President
2007 to 2011	Ankara, Deputy Head of Mission
2003 to 2006	United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union, Brussels, First Secretary
2002 to 2003	FCO, Head, EU Public Diplomacy, Europe Directorate
1998 to 2001	Prague, Second Secretary
1996 to 1997	United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the United Nations, New York, Adviser
1995 to 1996	FCO, New Entrant, European Union Department (Fast Stream)
1994 to 1995	Depart of Transport, New Entrant, British Rail Privatisation (Fast Stream)

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 November 2022.

On the launch of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK):

We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, condemn in the strongest terms the brazen launch of another Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) conducted on 18 November 2022 by the DPRK. This missile launch is another blatant violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) by the DPRK. This reckless act, together with the evidence of ongoing nuclear activities, underscores the DPRK’s determination to advance and diversify its nuclear weapons and missile capabilities. It further destabilizes the region, despite calls from the international community for peace and stability.

The unprecedented series of unlawful ballistic missile launches conducted by the DPRK in 2022, including numerous intercontinental ballistic missiles, and the intermediate-range ballistic missile which recklessly overflew Japan, pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and security and undermine the global non-proliferation regime. They also pose a danger and unpredictable risk to international civil aviation and maritime navigation in the region.

We reiterate our demand that the DPRK abandon its nuclear weapons, existing nuclear programs, and any other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and cease immediately all related activities. The DPRK cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear-weapon State in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) or any other special status in this regard. We urge the DPRK to return at an early date to, and fully comply with the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards and to fully abide by all legal obligations under relevant UNSCRs.

The DPRK’s actions demand a united and robust response by the international community, including the need for further significant measures to be taken by the UN Security Council (UNSC). We call on all states to fully and effectively implement all UNSC measures and sanctions against the DPRK and address the risk of weapons of mass destruction proliferation from the DPRK as an urgent priority.

The G7 expresses its full solidarity with Japan and the Republic of Korea and urges the DPRK to cease its destabilizing actions. We urge the DPRK to resume meaningful dialogue toward denuclearization and accept the repeated offers of dialogue put forward by the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea. By diverting its resources from providing for the needs of its people into its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs the DPRK further aggravates the already dire humanitarian situation in the DPRK. We are committed to working with all relevant partners toward the goal of peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and to upholding the rules-based international order.

The joint press release issued by embassies in Ukraine on 20 November 2022.

On World Children’s Day 2022, we, the Embassies and Delegations associated with this statement, express deep concern at the appalling and long-lasting impact of Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine’s children.

It is not possible to confirm the precise number of children that have been direct casualties, but OHCHR has verified that Russia’s invasion has killed more than 400 children, and injured 750 as of mid-November. The true toll is likely to be significantly higher, not to mention the devastating and long-term impact on the mental health of the younger generation.

In addition, hundreds of thousands of children have been forced from Ukraine either by fleeing to countries of safety, or through reported forced deportation and abduction by Russian armed forces, sometimes without their parents’ knowledge. We are also deeply concerned by reports that some children deported to Russia have been forcibly adopted.

There is no doubt that every child in Ukraine is suffering because of Russia’s invasion. Indiscriminate Russian attacks have destroyed countless schools and disrupted education through attacks on Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure. Frequent power cuts prevent online learning. In Russian-controlled areas, the Russia-imposed school curriculum propagates disinformation and teachers are punished for teaching in Ukrainian. Children suffer disproportionately from lack of power, heating, and water caused by Russian missile attacks.

The international community stands with Ukraine in protecting its future generations. Russia’s egregious human rights abuses and violations must have consequences and perpetrators of war crimes must face justice.

Signatories of this statement:

• British Embassy Kyiv
• American Embassy Kyiv
• Australian Embassy Kyiv
• Austrian Embassy Kyiv
• Canadian Embassy Kyiv
• Czech Embassy Kyiv
• Dutch Embassy Kyiv
• Estonian Embassy Kyiv
• EU Delegation Kyiv
• French Embassy Kyiv
• German Embassy Kyiv
• Italian Embassy Kyiv
• Japanese Embassy Kyiv
• Latvian Embassy Kyiv
• Norwegian Embassy Kyiv
• Polish Embassy Kyiv
• Swedish Embassy Kyiv
• Swiss Embassy Kyiv

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 November 2022.

• The Foreign Secretary will today [Saturday 19 November] call out Iran and Russia as threats to the security of the Middle East in a speech to global leaders in Bahrain.
• He will commit to working with partners to ensure Iran can never develop a nuclear weapon and to tackle its destabilising activity in the region.
• The Foreign Secretary will also call out Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as a ‘flagrant breach’ of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity which is ‘heaping misery’ on millions of Syrians and Yemenis by driving up food prices.

The Foreign Secretary will call out Iran and Russia as threats to the security of the Middle East in a speech at an international security conference today.

Speaking at the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain, he will commit to working with partners in the region to ensure Iran never develops a nuclear weapon and highlight the impact of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on food security across the region.

He will also highlight opportunities for cooperation on Gulf states’ transition to green energy and look forward to greater trade between the Gulf and the UK following the conclusion of talks on a new Free Trade Agreement with the Gulf Co-operation Council, expected next year.

On the threat posed by Iran, the Foreign Secretary is expected to say:

Iranian-supplied weapons threaten the entire region. Today Iran’s nuclear programme is more advanced than ever before, and the regime has resorted to selling Russia the armed drones that are killing civilians in Ukraine.

As their people demonstrate against decades of oppression, Iran’s rulers are spreading bloodshed and destruction as far away as Kyiv.

Britain is determined to work alongside our friends to counter the Iranian threat, interdict the smuggling of conventional arms, and prevent the regime from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.

On Putin’s war in Ukraine, the Foreign Secretary is expected to say:

Putin’s onslaught against Ukraine amounts to a flagrant breach of those principles [sovereignty and territorial integrity]. No country is immune from the turmoil he has brought to world energy markets or the damage he has caused to global food security.

Putin’s war is inflicting yet more suffering on Syrians and Yemenis, who were already enduring the privations of humanitarian emergency, and ordinary Lebanese, caught up in economic crisis.

The Foreign Secretary will hold bilateral meetings with a range of international counterparts at the Dialogue and take part in panel events on key issues facing the Middle East, including maritime security and conflict resolution.

Following the Manama Dialogue, the Foreign Secretary will be travelling to Qatar. He is planning to meet with UK police representatives who are in-country supporting British fans to enjoy a safe and enjoyable trip, to understand more about their plans for the tournament.

While there, he will also speak at an event on global food security, hold bilateral meetings with key partners and visit UK Armed Forces stationed in Qatar, alongside attending the opening ceremony of the World Cup and the first England game.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 November 2022.

The UK Special Envoy for the African Great Lakes, Alison Thorpe, joins the United States and the Special Envoys of Belgium and France to issue a statement about the security situation in eastern DRC.

The United States along with the Great Lakes Special Envoys of Belgium, France and the UK  condemn in the strongest terms the continuing advance of the UN-sanctioned March 23 Movement (M23) illegal armed group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The resumption of violence since 20 October, including in and around the towns of Rutshuru, Kiwanja, Rumangabo and Kibumba, undermines peace efforts and has caused further insecurity and significant human suffering. We call on the M23 to immediately withdraw, end any acts violating international law, and to cease hostilities.

We reiterate our support for regional diplomatic efforts, including the Nairobi and Luanda processes, that promote de-escalation and create the conditions for lasting peace in DRC.  We encourage renewed dialogue through these mechanisms and for Congolese non-state armed groups to participate in the Nairobi process. All support to non-state armed actors must stop, including external support to M23. We call on countries in the region to use all means available to them to urge an immediate cessation of hostilities and immediate resumption of consultations on concrete steps to deescalate current tensions.

We reaffirm our commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the Great Lakes region.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 November 2022.

UK Ambassador to the IAEA, Corinne Kitsell, gave a statement on behalf of Australia, the UK and the US on their co-operation on AUKUS nuclear naval propulsion.

Chair,

I have the honour of speaking on behalf of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States on our effort through the AUKUS partnership to determine the optimal pathway for Australia to acquire conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.

Chair,

We are now more than one year into our 18-month initial consultation period, and we are pleased with the progress made so far.

Since the September Board meeting, senior officials and technical experts have held further trilateral discussions in our capitals. We have also continued to hold productive technical consultations with the IAEA’s AUKUS taskforce and the IAEA

Secretariat in Vienna as we work to formulate a safeguards approach that will meet the IAEA’s technical objectives. These consultations are regular and ongoing, and they reflect the depth of the AUKUS partners’ commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

We remain resolutely committed to setting the highest possible non-proliferation standards in relation to our co-operation on the AUKUS endeavour, and we will continue to keep Member States fully updated on our trilateral consultations with the IAEA.

Chair,

Sadly, there have been continued calls by some countries for the Agency to suspend engagement with us until a separate mechanism is established to discuss all aspects of AUKUS cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines.

All Member States have the right to confidential discussions with the IAEA Secretariat, and it is vital that the Agency remains the impartial and independent technical authority on the implementation of safeguards agreements. At the September Board, the Director General reiterated his satisfaction with AUKUS partners’ level of engagement to date, and reaffirmed the mandate of the IAEA to engage with Member States on safeguards matters. To reconfirm what we have set out at the Board on previous occasions, Australia’s proposed naval nuclear propulsion activities will occur within the framework of Australia’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) and Additional Protocol, providing the firm legal basis on which the IAEA, through the Director General and the Secretariat, is engaging with Australia and AUKUS partners.

Chair,

We would like to briefly address the unfounded criticism that certain members continue to repeat at this Board. As an example, one distinguished delegate yesterday identified nine items on which they claim the Director General is required to – and has purportedly failed to – report with respect to AUKUS. In his September report, the Director General explicitly stated that Australia has “complied with its reporting obligations under its CSA and AP, including those required under Modified Code 3.1 of the Subsidiary Arrangements to its CSA.”

The Director General also confirmed that further reporting by Australia at this time would be premature because Australia has “informed the Agency that…no activities listed in Annex I of the AP had either been conducted or were planned; no transfers of equipment/material listed in Annex II of the AP had either taken place or were planned; and no decision had been taken to construct or otherwise acquire any nuclear reactor or other nuclear facility in connection with AUKUS.”

Given we have repeatedly responded to these unfounded allegations in previous meetings, we will not again refute them line by line. However, we would like to make one point clear: Australia and the AUKUS partners are fully compliant with their respective safeguards obligations. Any assertions to the contrary are without any factual or legal foundation.

Chair,

We will continue our engagement with the Agency over the coming months, and we anticipate there will be further reports from the Director General in the future upon which we look forward to further discussions. We will continue to update the Board in future, as appropriate.

Thank you, Chair.