Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : One year on – government’s continuing commitment to Afghanistan

The press release issued by the Home Office on 25 August 2022.

New data published today (Thursday 25 August) shows the UK is fulfilling its obligations to the people of Afghanistan and remains committed to providing protection for them.

The data on the number of Afghans resettled in the UK since April 2021, shows that over 11,300 Afghans have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain, through the bespoke visa schemes set up for them.

In addition, nearly 21,500 British Nationals and Afghans have been brought to safety prior to, during and following Operation Pitting, the biggest air evacuation since the Second World War.

The situation on the ground both in Afghanistan and in the UK remains complex, while Afghans continue to arrive in the UK and a steady stream of people are moving into settled accommodation each week.

The Home Office is working towards resettling hundreds of Afghan arrivals per month over the next three years through the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) for current and former Locally Employed Staff in Afghanistan, while the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will welcome up to 20,000 people in need, including women and children, LGBT+, religious and ethnic minorities.

Through ACRS, the government has started receiving its first referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and will bring the first arrivals to the UK as soon as possible. From next year, the government will start working with international partners and NGOs so the UK can welcome wider groups at risk. As a result, in the next year over 3,500 Afghans are expected to arrive in the UK under ACRS.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

“The evacuation of Afghanistan was a race against time to get people out – the stakes had never been higher. The UK has a well-earned reputation for extending the hand of friendship to those in need and I am incredibly proud that nearly 21,500 people have so far made it to safety in the UK thanks to a huge government effort and the determination of the British public to help during very challenging, complex and intense circumstances.

One year on, our work to help Afghans resettled in the UK has not stopped – there are still weekly flights, our resettlement schemes remain open and we will be welcoming thousands more people to our country. We are also doing everything possible to move families into homes and I urge landlords and local authorities to come forward with suitable accommodation.”

The two visa schemes set up for Afghans fleeing the Taliban, ARAP and ACRS, will enable Afghans to rebuild their lives in the UK including receiving full access to public services, education and benefits, including Universal Credit, as well as the right to work as soon as they arrive here. In less than a year, almost 7,400 Afghan evacuees have been provided with permanent homes.

The government is working hard to provide accommodation for Afghans, however the data published today shows 9,667 Afghans are living across 66 bridging hotels. As a result, more than 2,000 properties are required, so families can move out of hotels and into homes.

The Home Office and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are reaching out to landlords, property developers and the wider private rented sector, including property website RightMove, to encourage further offers of homes.

In addition, the government is working directly with education bodies to turn student accommodation into long-term housing for Afghan families.

Minister for Refugees Lord Harrington said:

Finding long term housing for Afghans is a very real and complex challenge. While the number of hotels in use has reduced, we are determined to move people out of bridging accommodation as quickly as possible so Afghans can start their new lives in the UK.

We are doing everything in our power to encourage councils and landlords to come forward, while also looking at innovative solutions to source accommodation. The use of hotels is a temporary solution and is not a policy we want to pursue, but in the meantime they do provide safe, clean and secure accommodation.

August 25, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK and Albania pledge rapid removal of those entering the UK illegally

The press release issued by the Home Office on 25 August 2022.

Removal of Albanians with no right to be in the UK will be fast-tracked wherever possible, under new plans agreed to tackle the scourge of small boat crossings.

Speaking this week, Home Secretary Priti Patel and the Minister for Interior Affairs of Albania, Bledi Çuçi, pledged to intensify joint work to tackle the problem of large numbers of Albanians taking the treacherous journey to the UK across the Channel at the hands of people smugglers.

Those coming from Albania – a safe and prosperous country – are travelling through multiple countries to make the journey to the UK. Many then make spurious asylum claims when they arrive.

Through the Nationality and Borders Act, introduced by the Home Secretary, asylum claims may be inadmissible if someone travels through a safe third country before reaching the UK.

People coming through this route will have claims processed immediately, with those who have no right to be in the UK being removed as soon as possible.

The Albanian government has also offered senior law enforcement support to the UK to provide UK authorities with vital intelligence and to support processing.

Since the historic readmission agreement signed with Albania last year, nearly 1,000 Albanian foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

“Large numbers of Albanians are being sold lies by ruthless people smugglers and vicious organised crime gangs, leading them to take treacherous journeys in flimsy boats to the UK. This abuse of our immigration system and people risking their lives cannot go on.

Thanks to our excellent levels of co-operation with Albania, we will take every opportunity to speed up removal of Albanians with no right to be in the UK.

I want to thank my counterpart Bledi Çuçi for the work he and his government are doing – we are both steadfast in our commitment to stop this trend.”

Minister for Interior Affairs of Albania Bledi Çuçi, said:

“We discourage these illegal and dangerous practices.

The Home Secretary and I also discussed mid-term solutions to provide better opportunities for young people, and means of legal migration that enables skilled professionals and labour access to the UK.”

The UK and Albania work closely together to stop the exploitation of young Albanians being encouraged to come to the UK under false pretences and lies from callous criminal gangs.

To raise awareness of the risks and alternatives of arriving illegally via dangerous and unnecessary journeys, new hard-hitting Albanian language adverts were launched on 24 August, as part of a Home Office campaign.

The campaign, which fights back against the lies sold by people smuggling gangs on social media, is essential to tell people about new UK rules that will make it harder for those arriving illegally to remain and work in the UK.

Albanian adverts join those launched earlier this summer in key locations in France and Belgium, in the languages most frequently spoken by small boat arrivals.

The campaign’s guidance for people considering a small boat journey includes information about possible relocation to Rwanda or another safe country; restrictions on working and earning money; increased prison sentences for immigration offences; crucial information on safe alternative options while encouraging people to claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.

August 25, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Hundreds of thousands of students receive GCSE and vocational results

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 25 August 2022.

Hundreds of thousands of students receive GCSE and vocational results today (25 August). It is the first time in three years that students have sat summer GCSE examinations as the country returns to normality post-Covid.

Students collecting results today will progress to one of a number of high-quality options including A levels, T Levels or an apprenticeship. From September there will be 16 T Levels available for young people to study, in subjects including digital, health, accounting, engineering and construction, offered at over 175 schools and colleges across England.

Just over three-quarters (75.3%) of GCSE grades for 16-year-olds in England are at grade 4 or above, up from 69.9% in 2019 when formal exams last took place and down from 79.1% in 2021, in line with the policy intent set out last year.

Top grades for 16 year olds in England have also increased on 2019 as intended, with 27% of entries achieving a grade 7 and above, up by 5.2 percentage points compared to 2019, and 3 percentage points lower than 2021.

In line with the plans announced last autumn, and as part of the transition back to pre-pandemic grading levels, overall grades today are higher than in 2019 – recognising the unprecedented disruption students have faced – but lower than in 2021 when exceptional steps were taken to ensure progression.

Students were supported with a range of adaptations this year including advance information on the content of some exams, formula sheets and content optionality for GCSE students while some students doing vocational and technical qualifications were given longer assessment windows.

This is alongside continued support from our National Tutoring Programme, through which the government is offering up to 6 million tutoring courses over the lifetime of the programme. So far over 2 million courses have started. In AY22/23, government will provide £349 million direct to schools to subsidise the cost of tutoring.

In recognition of the greater gaps in older pupils’ learning and the lower amount of time those pupils have left in education, the government is investing over £800m to increase time in schools and colleges at 16-19 around 40 hours a year from September for all students.

The additional funding schools receive to support pupils’ recovery will also nearly double for secondary schools from September 2022, with a typical secondary school set to receive £60,000 for evidence-based activities such as extra support with English and maths, attendance initiatives and summer schools, as part of the £1 billion recovery premium.

Education Secretary James Cleverly said:

“Students receiving their results today should be extremely proud, and I want to congratulate them all. The teaching profession has worked incredibly hard and these results are a testament to the resilience of both our students and staff.

We have the most exciting range of post-16 options for students to choose from now, whether that’s one of our exciting new T Levels, an apprenticeship or A levels. There is an option for everyone.

I wish students the very best of luck, no matter what those next steps are.”

Statistics published today also show:

Entries at grade 4 or above for 16-year-olds in England were 77.2% for GCSE English and 75.1% for GCSE maths

Attainment gap between boys and girls narrowed compared to 2021 at the top grades

The proportion of geography and history entries are up by 10.1% and 5.7% respectively compared to 2019, bringing entries into EBacc subjects to nearly 4 million

The proportion of grades at 7 and above in independent schools in England has dropped by 8.3 percentage points on 2021, compared to 2.4 percentage points in academies, narrowing the gap between the two groups at this grade

369,220 certificates across 141 qualifications have been awarded since March 2022, 96% of which are Technical Awards taken alongside GCSEs.

There are a wide range of apprenticeship opportunities available to young people, offering them the chance to earn while they learn and gain the skills needed to secure exciting careers in anything from space engineering, teaching, cyber security, nursing, social care or film and TV.

The government is investing nearly £5 billion to support students’ recovery from the impact of the pandemic, including £1.5 billion for tutoring programmes.

Separate funding is also being targeted at the areas of the country where outcomes are weakest through the Government’s 55 Education Investment Areas, including investment to attract and retain the best teachers through bursaries and funding to increase the number of schools that can benefit from the support of a strong trust.

August 25, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Fifth anniversary of the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar – UK statement
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 August 2022.
- UK takes fresh action against the Myanmar Armed Forces on 5th anniversary of the military’s campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya
- new sanctions against military-linked companies to target the military’s access to arms and revenue
- UK confirms its intention to intervene in The Gambia v. Myanmar International Court of Justice Case to support international justice efforts
The UK has announced a further round of sanctions to target military-linked businesses in Myanmar. Those being sanctioned include Star Sapphire Group of Companies, International Gateways Group of Companies Limited (IGG) and Sky One Construction Company Ltd. They are being sanctioned in an effort to limit the military’s access to arms and revenue.

Minister for Asia Amanda Milling has also confirmed the UK’s intention to intervene in the case of The Gambia v. Myanmar before the International Court of Justice. The case will determine whether Myanmar has violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to the military’s acts against the Rohingya in 2016 and 2017.

The Myanmar Armed Forces launched a devastating attack on the Rohingya communities living in Rakhine State, Myanmar on 25 August 2017. A UN Fact Finding Mission report stated that over 10,000 Rohingya were killed and 740,000 displaced into neighbouring Bangladesh.

The report also claimed Myanmar Armed Forces engaged in a campaign of sexual violence, grave violations against children, torture and village burnings. These are the hallmarks of a military acting with impunity, and the UK notes its grave concern that they are employing these tactics in their current operations against pro-democracy groups in Myanmar.

The UK has been clear that what happened to the Rohingya was ethnic cleansing and remains committed to taking action to stop the brutality of the Myanmar Armed Forces and hold them to account.

Minister for Asia Amanda Milling said:

“The UK will always face down those who seek to undermine and destroy our values of freedom and democracy. Five years on, we continue to stand in solidarity with the Rohingya people and condemn the Myanmar Armed Forces’ horrific campaign of ethnic cleansing.

Our decision to intervene in The Gambia v. Myanmar case and a further round of sanctions sends a strong signal of our continued support to seek accountability for the atrocities in 2017 and also restrict the military junta’s access to finance and the supply of arms.”

The violence in 2017 was the result of an attempt, over generations, to destroy the Rohingya identity. The 600,000 Rohingya remaining in Rakhine State have been stripped of their citizenship and face systemic discrimination restricting the freedom of movement and access to healthcare. The UK now reiterates the call for the abolition of the 1982 Citizenship Law and the restoration of Rohingya citizenship.

Since 2017 the UK has provided £330 million in aid to the camps, supporting food needs, shelter, sanitation, education, medical and protection services.
August 25, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Calling on the Sudanese to immediately enhance their cooperation with the International Criminal Court

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

Statement by Chanaka Wickremasinghe, UK Legal Adviser at the Security Council briefing by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Darfur.

Mr President, I thank the Prosecutor for the thirty-fifth report on the Situation in Darfur, pursuant to Resolution 1593.

I also thank the Prosecutor for his briefing to this Council, and welcome this being delivered during the Prosecutor’s second visit to Sudan, as a sign of the Court’s unwavering commitment to help deliver justice for the people of Darfur.

In this light, the UK welcomes the progress made in the trial of Mr Abd-Al-Rahman, in which 28 witnesses have provided evidence since April. It is testament to the victims’ courage and patience for them to tell their stories after two decades, and represents a vital step towards seeking accountability for all survivors and affected communities in Darfur.

This historic moment demonstrates how enhanced cooperation can translate into meaningful action in the pursuit of justice. It is our sincere hope that this initial step begins to deliver justice for the people of Darfur, and helps to break the cycle of impunity that exists across Sudan.

However, Mr President, it is regrettable that sufficient cooperation has been lacking from the Sudanese authorities since last October’s military coup. This puts at risk the progress that the previous Government of Sudan had been able to make with the Court.

The UK therefore urges the Sudanese authorities to immediately enhance their cooperation with the Court.

Firstly, we call for the Sudanese authorities to engage in helping to facilitate the establishment of a field office in Khartoum. A permanent presence is vital for the Office of the Prosecutor to continuously deepen its engagement with affected communities and to facilitate stronger cooperation with the Sudanese authorities.

Secondly, the UK urges the Sudanese authorities to respond swiftly to the Court’s outstanding requests for assistance, noting the Court have only had a response to two of the seventeen requests they have made in the last six months. We also urge the Sudanese authorities to provide unimpeded access to the documentation and witnesses that the Court have identified.

Finally, Mr President, the UK would like to commend the ICC’s tireless efforts in delivering justice for the people of Darfur, and reiterate our support to the Court in this endeavour. In this respect we call for action to deliver on the four ICC warrants which remain outstanding in the Darfur situation, and we continue to call for the surrender of Mr Banda, who remains a fugitive from the Court.

Thank you.

August 25, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine has inspired the world with its courage and defiance against brutality – UK statement at the Security Council

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

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

Thank you, President.

On behalf of the United Kingdom, I thank the Secretary-General and Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for their briefings. We warmly welcome President Zelenskyy’s participation in today’s meeting.

Six months ago, even as this Council met late into the night to try and avert catastrophe, Russia launched an unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine in violation of the UN Charter.

In the months that have followed, Ukraine has been subjected to the full horrors of war.

As we have heard today, thousands of civilians have been killed or wounded.

Over 17 million are now in need of humanitarian assistance.

Schools, hospitals and other medical facilities have been attacked. We have seen a pattern of Russian violations of international humanitarian law. And of Russian human rights abuses and violations including reports of torture, inhumane treatment and arbitrary detention.

Ukrainian citizens, including children, have been forcibly deported to Russia. 6 million people are displaced within Ukraine and over 6 million are refugees abroad.

The people of Ukraine are not the only victims of this war.

Beyond Ukraine’s borders, Putin’s decisions have had a devastating impact on the world’s most vulnerable, with many millions across the world affected by rising food and fuel prices.

We again pay tribute to the work of the Secretary-General with Türkiye to negotiate the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Today, in what would be another violation of the UN Charter, there are reports that Russia is planning fake referenda to illegally annex more territory from Ukraine.

Any such attempt would fool no one.

Russia has, after all, lied throughout their illegal invasion, using disinformation to create false pretexts, undermine Ukrainian sovereignty, obscure the truth and hide war crimes.

And it would further demonstrate Russia’s contempt for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Principles which, as Member States of this organisation, we have all committed to upholding.

President, 31 years ago today, Ukraine declared its independence with over 90% of Ukrainians voting in favour.

Today, that pride in Ukrainian identity and sovereignty remains as strong as ever.

We have all seen the courage and ingenuity of the Ukrainian people as they have fought to defend their nation against Russia’s attack on their national sovereignty and right to self-determination. Ukraine’s fight is a fight for the principles of the UN Charter. All all of us in this Chamber have a responsibility to recognise that. It is a fight that has inspired the world with its courage and defiance against brutality.

So today, on Ukrainian Independence Day, we stand together with the nation of Ukraine and its heroic people who continue to resist Russia’s attempts to rewrite international borders by force.

We once again call for Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine immediately. And we call for full accountability for Russia’s crimes.

August 25, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Faster accommodation moves for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children

The press release issued by the Home Office on 24 August 2022.

The transfer of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) from temporary hotels to long-term care will be sped up to help reduce the multi-million pound cost of accommodation to the UK taxpayer and ensure children get the care they need, the government has announced.

The changes, part of the New Plan for Immigration, will mean that UASC will spend less time in hotels and more time in long-term accommodation designed for their needs.

Currently the government spends more than £5 million a day accommodating asylum seekers and Afghan refugees in hotels, including UASC.

The government is working at pace to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers and fix the broken asylum system. While there is no one single solution, the government’s New Plan for Immigration is delivering a broad range of measures to tackle illegal migration and the pressures it has put on our asylum system, including through the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda, our new Borders Act, plans for asylum reception centres and a fairer asylum dispersal system.

Minister Kevin Foster, Minister for Safe and Legal Migration said:

“The government cannot deal with the impact of the rise in dangerous and illegal small boat crossings alone which is why I welcome the support from councils to help us reduce the cost of hotels and quickly move unaccompanied asylum-seeking children so they receive the care they need.

Any council which moves a child from a hotel to their care under the new scheme will receive support funding of £6,000 per child for the first three months to give them the best possible start.”

Today’s announcement means once a referral is made under the National Transfer Scheme, councils will have five working days rather than 10, to transfer an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child from hotel accommodation to their care.

On top of the extra £20 million of government funding announced last year, councils will receive new funding to help them deliver the changes to the scheme.

Councils will receive an additional £2,000 per child per month for the first three months if they move a UASC from a hotel to a placement within five working days. Following this councils will continue to receive up to £143 a day to support any UASC and £270 per week for all former UASC care leavers in their area.

The Home Office has made further changes which means councils have to work to create placements based on a minimum of 0.1% UASC as a percentage of their overall child population. The change will mean children are fairly distributed between councils.

The NTS, which was made mandatory in February 2022, has seen more than 1,730 children transferred to councils with children’s services between January 2021 to March 2022.

August 25, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Regular asymptomatic testing paused in additional settings
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 24 August 2022.
- Routine asymptomatic testing will be paused across remaining settings, including hospitals and care homes, from 31 August as Covid cases continue to fall
- Testing for individuals with symptoms in these settings, including health and social care staff, will continue
- Immunocompromised patients in hospitals and people being admitted into care homes and hospices will also continue to be tested
Regular asymptomatic testing for Covid in all remaining settings in England will be paused from 31 August, as Covid cases continue to fall.

Free testing for the public ended on 1 April as part of the government’s Living with Covid plan, but asymptomatic testing continued to be used in some settings during periods of high case rates.

The vaccination programme means Covid cases have now fallen to 40,027 and the risk of transmission has reduced. Deaths have fallen to 744 and hospitalisations to 6,005 in the last seven days, meaning wider asymptomatic testing can soon end as planned in most instances. Symptomatic testing in high risk settings will continue.

Settings where asymptomatic testing of staff and patients or residents will be paused include:
- The NHS (including independent health care providers treating NHS patients);
- Adult social care and hospice services (apart from new admissions);
- Parts of the prison estate and some places of detention; and
- Certain domestic abuse refuges and homelessness settings.
Testing will remain in place for admissions into care homes and hospices from both hospitals and the community, and for transfers for immunocompromised patients into and within hospital to protect those who are most vulnerable.

Testing will also be available for outbreaks in certain high-risk settings such as care homes.

Year-round symptomatic testing will continue to be provided in some settings, including:
- NHS patients who require testing as part of established clinical pathways or those eligible for Covid treatments;
- NHS staff and staff in NHS-funded independent healthcare provision;
- Staff in adult social care services and hospices and residents of care homes, extra care and supported living settings and hospices;
- Staff and detainees in prisons; and
- Staff and service users of certain domestic abuse refuges and homelessness services.
Individuals will continue to be protected through vaccination and access to antivirals where eligible.

The government continues to encourage all who are eligible to take up boosters. Autumn boosters will be available to book through the National Booking Service ahead of the wider rollout, due to start on the 12 September. The NHS will contact people when it is their turn.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

“Thanks to the success of our world-leading vaccination roll-out, we are able to continue living with Covid and, from 31 August, we will pause routine asymptomatic testing in most high-risk settings.

This reflects the fact case rates have fallen and the risk of transmission has reduced, though we will continue to closely monitor the situation and work with sectors to resume testing should it be needed. Those being admitted into care homes will continue to be tested.

Our upcoming autumn booster programme will offer jabs to protect those at greatest risk from severe Covid, and I urge everyone who is eligible to take up the offer.”

Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser to the UK Health Security Agency, said:

“Covid case rates and hospitalisations are on the decline, demonstrating the positive impact of the vaccines, which remain our best form of defence. The data from our surveillance shows prevalence is low and decreasing, and we will continue to monitor this data closely.

If you are invited to receive a booster jab in the autumn, or if you have not yet had a Covid vaccine, please do take up the offer to protect yourself and those around you.”

The government expects the prevalence of Covid to remain low following the most recent wave but will keep the situation under review. In line with the Living with Covid plan, the government will continue to work closely with sectors and services and will be ready to resume testing if required.

Guidance on testing in adult social care settings will be updated today (24 August) and guidance on other high-risk settings will follow shortly.

On 15 August, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published its advice on which vaccines should be used in this year’s Autumn booster programme. This includes the approval of new dual-strain (or “bivalent”) vaccines as part of the programme, targeting both the original strain of the virus and the new, more prevalent Omicron strain.

All of the available boosters provide good protection against severe illness from Covid and the Committee has emphasised that getting a booster in good time before the winter season is more important for those eligible than the type of vaccine that is received.
August 25, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK agrees two deals with major gulf trading partner Qatar

The press release issued by the Department for International Trade on 24 August 2022.

The UK enhanced its relationship with our third largest Gulf trading partner, announcing two significant agreements to boost trade and investment.

UK trade minister Ranil Jayawardena met Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani in London today to agree the new partnerships at the third UK-Qatar Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).

It comes after the launch of negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GGC) in June. An agreement with the GCC is an opportunity to grow an overall trade relationship worth £32.4 billion in 2020, breaking down barriers to trade and supporting jobs across the whole of the UK.

Minister for International Trade, Ranil Jayawardena, said:

“Qatar is an important trade and investment partner for Britain. I believe we should nurture and maximise the strength of our relationship to make our economies more resilient and prosperous.

We are committed to taking steps to further deepen the trade and investment relationship we share with Qatar, and today’s JETCO signals our ambition through two significant agreements.”

The two new MOUs include a new agreement between Department for International Trade (DIT) and Qatar’s Investment Promotion Agency, to help British businesses such as to enter the Qatari market. The collaboration will provide information to companies on strategic investment opportunities and provide guidance on market entry options.

On top of this, DIT also opened the UK export market to Qatar for the supply of vitamins and supplements, enabling Holland & Barrett to export these products to the country.

Nick Parker, Director of International Development, Holland & Barrett said:

“Holland and Barrett’s mission is to make health and wellness a way of life for everyone and through our two franchise stores in Qatar we have been able to serve our customers there since 2015, however until now our franchise partner has been unable to offer our own range of vitamins and supplements.”

During the JETCO, UK Export Finance (UKEF) signed a memorandum with Qatar Development Bank to boost efforts between the UK and Qatari companies by sharing expertise on export finance, insurance products and cooperation on projects which involve both UK and Qatari goods and services.

The meeting of Ministers concluded with the signing of a Joint Statement outlining commitments to tackling market access issues on both sides and growing trade in a range of priority sectors, including healthcare and life sciences, education, and food and drink.

The next meeting of the JETCO will be organised by the State of Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry and will be held in Doha in 2023.

August 25, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Mankind should put forward demands to terrorists, not the other way around, because terror knows no boundaries – President of Ukraine in Global Citizen

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 6 March 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the people through the Global Citizen platform to promote the decision to protect the Ukrainian sky from Russian attacks, civilians from bombing, and Ukrainian cities from destruction.

“The world must react firmly and, most importantly, quickly. The world must stop Russia’s authorities. Stop Russia. It must stop rocket attacks and daily bombings,” the Head of State stressed in his address.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the whole world knows what terrorism, hostage-taking, and plane bombing are, but now the world community is facing a much larger manifestation of terrorism.

“Now you see something worse – not an individual terror anymore, not some marginal terrorist organization. You see a terrorist state. A state, which deliberately destroys the cities of Ukraine with cruise missiles, air bombs and artillery. A state that allows itself to fire from tanks at nuclear power plants. No other terrorist has done this before,” the President said.

The Head of State expressed his conviction: if Western politicians are afraid to make an important decision to close the sky over Ukraine for Russian aviation, they must provide us with means of protection in the sky.

“Give us, Ukrainians, planes that we can use to protect us, our children, our friends, our parents, our cities, our memory, our architecture. Give Ukraine air defense to ensure that no nuclear power plant is blown up and that Ukraine and the whole of Europe are not destroyed,” he urged.

In order for everyone to understand the importance of making such a decision, Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested imagining a situation in which hospitals, schools, other civilian institutions and residential neighborhoods anywhere in the world are subjected to such devastating attacks and bombing.

“What would you do if terrorists completely destroyed them with missiles, missile strikes, air bombs? As it happens in our country, in Ukraine. In our Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Mariupol, Odesa and other cities?” the President asked, noting that today it happens every day in Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the public around the world to join the rallies in support of aid to Ukraine and the adoption of a decision that would save our country.

“We know that ordinary civilians around the world hear us, understand us much better than any politician. Politicians always lag behind people. So please speak up! Talk about Ukraine, take to the squares of your cities, support us, show your strong position, show your support for Ukraine!” he said.

The Head of State also stressed that by helping Ukraine, the world also helps and protects itself, because terrorists and terrorism know no boundaries.

“You can’t just tolerate terrorists killing. You can’t make all the concessions. It is impossible. These are terrorists. We must help the victims of terror, we must help ourselves, because you know – terror knows no borders, there are no borders for terrorists. And terror is always looking for new victims,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy added.

He called on citizens around the world to unite and be strong.

“Mankind should put forward demands to terrorists, not the other way around. Ukraine must have the right to its own protection, protection of its own life. With your help in our sky. Or with the planes that you have, but they are on the ground. And for us they will be the salvation. Salvation in the sky, so that life remains on our land. We must choose life right now,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy summed up.

Global Citizen is a social action platform aimed at solving global problems, including overcoming world poverty through collective efforts.

August 25, 2022