Tag: Foreign Office

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 October 2022.

The UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Rita French, underlines the UK’s support for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity in a statement at the UN Human Rights Council.

The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action stressed the importance of democracy for the enjoyment of human rights. And it states, in the clearest terms, that democracy is based on the freely expressed will of the people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their lives.

Yet what we have seen last week in Ukraine sought to make a mockery of these long-recognised principles. Putin’s sham referenda must be seen for what they are: a desperate attempt to justify an unprovoked and illegal land grab of sovereign Ukrainian territory. A blatant continuation of the Kremlin’s playbook, as seen before in Crimea in 2014. And a clear violation of international law.

This is not democracy, nor the will of the Ukrainian people. This is a farce – carried out with complete disregard for Ukraine’s legal and constitutional framework, and down the barrel of a gun.

Let me be clear: the United Kingdom will never accept the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as anything other than Ukrainian territory.

Mr President,

The principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, so central to the UN Charter, are principles which all of us have a responsibility to uphold. As the UN Secretary General said last week, Putin’s decision to proceed with the annexation of these regions has no legal value and must be condemned in the strongest terms.

We call on the international community to join us in unequivocally rejecting Russia’s attempts to illegally annex Ukrainian territory, and to restore the ability of all people in Ukraine to express their will in a free and democratic society.

Thank you.

The press release issued by 1 October 2022.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Yemen must not return to conflict. The truce expires tomorrow, but the Houthis continue to endanger the talks and deny Yemenis a peaceful future.

The truce has brought tangible benefits to both Yemenis and regional security and we welcome the Government of Yemen’s commitment to extend it further if an extension can be agreed.

We call on the Houthis to engage constructively with UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg’s efforts to broker an extension to the truce, so that serious dialogue about achieving a peaceful, inclusive and Yemeni-led future can take place.

During the truce period, civilian casualties have fallen dramatically in Yemen and cross-border attacks by the Houthis into Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have stopped.

The UK commends the Government of Yemen’s commitment to continue delivering the benefits of the truce through enabling Yemeni people to move more freely and safely around Yemen, to access fuel throughout the country, to fly in and out of Yemen to visit families and access healthcare, and through restarting payments for civil servants. The Yemeni people will only experience these benefits beyond Sunday if the parties agree to extend.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 September 2022.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward speaking after Russia used its veto to block a Security Council resolution condemning its illegal referenda in Ukraine.

President, yet again, Russia has abused its veto to defend its illegal actions.

Council members have voted in different ways. But one thing is clear. Not a single other member of this Council recognises Russia’s attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory. Russia’s veto doesn’t change that fact.

The announcement by President Putin today of the accession of the Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhyzhya, Luhansk and Donetsk into the Russian Federation has no legal effect. It is a fantasy.

Russia’s invasion needs to end. The world has made this clear for 7 months. Yet Russia’s response has been further escalation, further mobilisation, nuclear threats, and today another callous attack on a civilian convoy in Zaporizhzhya.

The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is under attack. The international system is being assaulted in front of our eyes. Russia will not succeed in this illegal imperialist war. The only question is how much damage they do, how many lives they waste, before they realise that.

Explanation of vote by Ambassador Barbara Woodward before the UN Security Council vote on Russia’s illegal referenda
Colleagues, Russia’s annexations further jeopardise the prospects for peace, and fundamentally undermine the Purposes and Principles of the United Nations.

The area Russia is claiming to annex is more than 90,000 square km. This is the largest forcible annexation since the Second World War.

There is no middle ground on this. It is in the end a very simple question of principle, as the Secretary General has said.

As members of the Security Council with the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security and upholding the UN Charter, we must condemn Russia’s actions, and vote in favour of this resolution.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 September 2022.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

I’d like to thank our briefers for setting out what we know so far about this case, which is still clearly very limited.

Once again in this chamber, we have heard some absurd Russian claims and conspiracy theories this afternoon.

Russia’s request for this meeting was a cynical attempt to distract from President Putin’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory today.

The damage to the Nordstream 1 and Nordstream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea is of deep concern.

These leaks are not only causing risks to shipping but also substantial environmental damage in the Baltic Sea. They are releasing enormous amounts of methane into the earth’s atmosphere.

We agree with the assessment that all currently available information indicates this damage is the result of sabotage. We strongly support the investigations by Denmark, Sweden and Germany.

Intentional damage to civilian infrastructure is reckless and irresponsible, wherever it takes place. We must establish clear international norms that such damage is utterly unacceptable.

For NATO’s part, as set out in yesterday’s statement of the North Atlantic Council, Allies remain committed to prepare for, deter and defend against any hybrid tactics by state and non-state actors including coercive approaches to energy.

We are clear that any deliberate attack against Allies’ critical infrastructure would be met with a united and determined response.

The UK will continue to work alongside our partners to protect Europe’s energy security.

Thank you, President.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 September 2022.

The fifth Atlantic Future Forum (AFF) took place in New York Harbour, on board HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier. At the business reception hosted by the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign, Welsh mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins, the UK’s biggest selling classical artist of the century and GREAT Ambassador, performed against the New York skyline alongside the Royal Marines Band.

The audience of over 500 distinguished high-profile business and political figures included Dame Karen Pierce, Britain’s Ambassador to the United States, Kemi Badenoch, the UK’s Secretary of State for International Trade, and Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Secretary of State for Transport for the UK.

The AFF is a conference hosted by the Royal Navy and led by the Department for International Trade. It brought senior politicians, business leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and military leaders from both sides of the Atlantic to tackle the biggest issues facing the world.

Both the AFF and GREAT celebrate the United Kingdom’s special relationship with the United States – as exemplified by Katherine’s rendition of both nations’ anthems at the beginning of her performance.

Katherine says, > As a proud Welsh woman and Brit, it was wonderful to sing on board HMS Queen Elizabeth II in such an iconic setting. With family now on both sides of the pond, I loved seeing the UK and the US coming together in this truly amazing way.

The GREAT Campaign is delighted to return to New York, building on the success of its earlier GREAT Calling New York Campaign. GREAT Calling saw the campaign partner with dynamic UK companies and famous faces to deliver events on sport, music, food and AI, inviting US audiences to ‘See Things Differently’ and to see a fresh side of the UK.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 September 2022.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on MONUSCO.

Thank you Mr President,

I thank SRSG Keita and Professor Mudinga for their briefings. We commend SRSG Keita and MONUSCO for their continued efforts in what is increasingly challenging and sometimes deadly circumstances. I also thank the Representative of Gabon for his briefing on the behalf of the 1533 Committee and I welcome the participation of the representatives from the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi in this meeting.

I will focus on the security and humanitarian situation in eastern DRC, regional efforts, and MONUSCO.

The United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by the security situation in eastern DRC. The redeployment of resources to tackle M23 has undermined the protection of civilians and created a vacuum that armed groups, like the Allied Democratic Forces, have exploited. We again call for the withdrawal of M23 from their current positions.

Since 2017 UK funding has provided over 2.5 million people with humanitarian assistance in the DRC. We urge all actors to address humanitarian impacts of the violence, ensuring those affected, including the 1.29 million newly displaced this year, receive the assistance they need.

President, we condemn recent violent protests against MONUSCO, which undermine its ability to implement its mandate, including civilian protection. We call on MONUSCO and the Government of DRC to engage in a structured dialogue which clarifies roles and responsibilities for a responsible, conditions-based drawdown of MONUSCO.

A military solution alone cannot bring peace. A credible and legitimate political process needs to be the foundation of any lasting settlement. Diplomatic efforts and dialogue through existing regional processes should continue, to help de-escalate tensions and end violence in the East.

Whilst military pressure has a role, it is important that international and domestic efforts complement, rather than contradict each other. The East African Community Force and DRC Armed Forces must substantively engage with MONUSCO on de-confliction of forces to ensure the protection of civilians, safety of peacekeepers and effectiveness of operations.

Implementation of the Government of DRC’s Demobilization, Disarmament, Community Reintegration and Stabilization Programme (P-DDRCS) should be accelerated to ensure willing armed groups are disarmed, to protect civilians, and bring stability to the East. We call on MONUSCO to continue supporting P-DDRCS to overcome internal coordination issues and agree appropriate fiduciary arrangements to facilitate donor funding.

Finally President, as Professor Mudinga has reminded us, the DRC and the Congo Basin are central to tackling climate change. At COP26 in Glasgow, the UK committed £200 million to the Congo Basin Pledge and will become chair of the Central African Forests Initiative in June 2023.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 September 2022.

New services and goods export bans, targeted at vulnerable sectors of the Russian economy, have been announced by the Foreign Secretary today (30 September) in response to Russia declaring the illegal annexation of 4 regions of Ukraine – violating their territorial integrity and political independence.

Russian-installed officials in 4 temporarily-controlled regions of Ukraine have conducted sham referendums in an attempt to justify their illegal seizure of Ukrainian land. The Russian regime has now announced the illegal annexation of these regions against the will of the Ukrainian people and in flagrant breach of international law.

The UK is moving in lockstep with international partners to target key sectors of the Russian economy. The new measures will ramp up economic pressure on the Russian regime by targeting vulnerabilities and disrupting crucial supply chains.

Russia imports 67% of its services from sanctioning countries. Building on previous action, the UK will prevent Russian access to:

• IT consultancy services
• architectural services
• engineering services
• advertising services
• transactional legal advisory services
• auditing services

The UK has also sanctioned Elvira Nabiullina, the Governor of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. In her role, Nabiullina has been instrumental in steering the Russian economy through the Russian regime’s illegal war against Ukraine and extending the ruble into the Ukrainian territories that are temporarily controlled by Russia. Nabiullina has been sanctioned and is personally subject to an asset freeze and travel ban.

The Foreign Secretary has instructed that the Russian Ambassador, Andrey Kelin, be summoned to the department, to protest in the strongest terms against the illegal annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK utterly condemns Putin’s announcement of the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory. We will never recognise the results of these sham referendums or any annexation of Ukrainian territory.

The Russian regime must be held to account for this abhorrent violation of international law. That’s why we are working with our international partners to ramp up the economic pressure through new targeted services bans.

What happens in Ukraine matters to us all, and the UK will do everything possible to assist their fight for freedom.

Russia is highly dependent on Western countries for legal services with 85% of all legal services being imported from G7 countries – given London is an international legal centre, the UK accounts for 59% of these imports. The new legal advisory measures will cover certain commercial and transactional services and hamper Russia’s businesses’ ability to operate internationally.

IT consultancy services will also be banned, including designing IT systems and software applications. Alongside the UK’s previous ban on quantum computing exports and computing services, and with over 170,000 IT specialists fleeing Russia since the invasion began, these measures will erode further Russia’s ability to maintain technological development with the rest of the world.

The UK is also working with international partners to cut off Russia from our engineering services and architectural services. Russia imports 77% of these services from the G7 and today’s measures will severely debilitate the future growth of Russia’s key industries.

These measures will also prohibit Russia’s access to other world-class professional services, including auditing and advertising services. With estimates suggesting that 80% of Russian imports in accounting, audit, bookkeeping and tax consultancy come from the UK, EU and US, these measures will further disrupt and degrade the capability of Russian businesses to keep pace in the international market.

The export of almost 700 goods from the UK to Russia are also being banned. The list includes hundreds of goods that are critical for production in Russia’s manufacturing sector, with imports from the UK totalling over £200 million last year. In total, £19 billion worth of UK-Russia trade has been wholly or partially sanctioned, based on 2021 trade flows.

Finally, the UK will suspend the process by which actions taken to manage the orderly failure of Russian banks are recognised under the laws of the United Kingdom, in cases where the bank is a sanctioned entity. This will prevent those Russian actions from taking legal effect in the UK and potentially providing economic benefit to the Russian state.

Alongside today’s measures, the UK continues to work with the G7 to finalise and implement the proposed price cap on Russian oil.

Many businesses have already taken significant steps in condemnation of the Russian regime’s illegal invasion – 75% of foreign companies have responded to the invasion with 25% having fully withdrawn – a clear marker of international condemnation.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 September 2022.

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said:

The UK is deeply concerned by North Korea’s decision to carry out further ballistic missile tests on 29 September in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions.

We urge North Korea to refrain from provocations and take concrete steps towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation. Alongside our allies and partners, the UK is committed to peace on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the rules-based international system and securing an end to North Korea’s unlawful activities. We strongly encourage North Korea to return to dialogue with the US.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 September 2022.

Ms Saffienne Vincent-Neal highlights at OSCE’s Human Dimension Conference that independent media and journalists are essential to keep governments accountable.

Mr Chair, strong, independent media and journalists are part of the bedrock of democratic societies and are essential to hold governments to account. We support the vital work of ODIHR and the Representative on Freedom of the Media as an early warning mechanism when fundamental freedoms are challenged.

In times of war, the media’s role in providing timely and accurate information is even more important. As Ukraine liberates more territory, journalists expose the atrocities caused by Russia’s military aggression.

We are appalled by the findings of the Moscow Mechanism reports on Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Journalists have been subjected to unlawful detentions, abductions, enforced disappearances and torture. At least 15 killed so far; with reports that hundreds more have been shelled, shot, or detained. In the parts of Ukraine temporarily controlled by Russia, the information space has been severely restricted. We share the condemnation by the UN and other international organisations of the cyber-attacks on Ukraine’s media and internet infrastructure.

The Moscow Mechanism report on Russia’s internal repression exposes a systemic and repressive war against the freedom of the Russian people. Propaganda, repressive legislation, and violence have created a climate of fear and intimidation. From 1992-2021 reportedly at least 58 journalists were killed in Russia for their work.

Since February, legislation has suppressed freedom to express dissent and criminalised the “discrediting” of Russia’s Armed Forces. How is this legislation and practice compatible with the human dimension obligations that Russia freely signed up to as an OSCE founding member? And, what message does this send? Be quiet or be persecuted.

As we have seen, most independent journalists and media outlets have left Russia or closed. The Russian government is isolating the Russian people from credible information, from the world outside of Russia’s borders. Those reporting accurately on Ukraine, face jail, including dual British-Russian national Vladimir Kara-Murza. As the Moscow Mechanism report clearly says, “this is military censorship”. We remind the Russian Government of the Milan Decision on Safety of Journalists in 2018, and urge them to comply with the 1991 Moscow Declaration which stressed the importance of protecting vulnerable groups in armed conflict, including journalists.

And we call for accountability – for Ukrainians persecuted in occupied territories and for Russians seeking simply to be able to tell the truth.

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

Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Political Coordinator at the UN at the Security Council meeting on chemical weapons in Syria.