Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : “I call for an immediate ceasefire between Lebanese Hizballah and Israel” – UK statement at the UN Security Council [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 September 2024.

Statement by Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Lebanon.

This is a moment of maximum danger.

We are on the brink. The precipice. At a few minutes to midnight.

We talk of the risk of full-scale regional war but the truth is we are already witnessing conflict on multiple fronts.

In Gaza. In the West Bank. In Lebanon. And the Red Sea.

The strikes in recent days have taken 550 lives in Lebanon.

The death of civilians, women and children.

The UN workers killed.

The Hizballah rockets that have killed Israelis are just the latest in the cycle of pain, anguish and loss.

President,

As we face the abyss, this Council has a duty to speak with one voice.

And we must say that the rockets must stop now. The air strikes must stop now. Talks must start now. With an immediate ceasefire on both sides now.

It is time to pull back from the brink.

President,

A full-blown war is not in the interests of the Israeli or the Lebanese people.

And that is why within hours of last week’s strikes I called for an immediate ceasefire between Lebanese Hizballah and Israel.

Since then, we’ve worked closely with the US and France to formalise a wider demand for the ceasefire and a political plan to implement it.

And at the UN in New York, the Prime Minister and I have been urging our G7 and other partners to do the same.

Our priority must be a political solution in line with Resolution 1701. It is our duty to do all we can to exert maximum diplomatic pressure so Israeli and Lebanese civilians can return to their homes. So lives can be saved. So security can return to Northern Israel and Southern Lebanon. So that daily life can begin to return.

Now let me be clear.

The United Kingdom condemns Hizballah’s attacks on Israel over the last 11 months, which have driven more than 60,000 people from their homes.

There was no justification for these attacks.

They have brought misery to ordinary people in Lebanon and Israel.

And they have done nothing to end the conflict in Gaza or secure Palestinian statehood.

And Iran, nothing justifies supplying weapons to terror groups in defiance of this Council.

We call on Tehran to use its influence and urge Hizballah to agree a ceasefire.

President,

For the people of Israel and for the people of Lebanon, a brilliant, multicultural and tolerant nation taken captive by an armed militia that puts itself before the Lebanese people, we must come together to bring this conflict to an end.

In 2006, this Council acted in the interests of peace and security. All parties need to embody that same spirit today.

By coming together, act now to bring this conflict to an end.

To stop the cycle of destruction.

To stop the loss of yet more innocent lives.

And to stop this conflict from exploding into full-blown war and open a path to peace.

That is what we need.

October 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Rachel Kyte appointed as the UK’s Special Representative for Climate [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 September 2024.

Rachel Kyte will support ministers to increase senior international diplomatic engagement on climate and clean energy.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Energy Secretary of State Ed Miliband have announced Rachel Kyte as the UK’s Special Representative for Climate. The role, previously left vacant for over a year, has been re-appointed under this administration as part of our ambitions to restore the UK’s role as an international leader on the climate.

Ms Kyte is Professor of Practice in Climate Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford and dean emerita of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She has extensive international climate experience with previous roles including Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All, World Bank Group Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change as well as Vice President for Sustainable Development at the World Bank and for Business Advisory Services at the International Finance Corporation.

The announcement was made in New York in the margins of a discussion on ‘Accelerating Deployment of Clean Power: Building a Global Clean Power Alliance’, an event hosted by the Foreign Secretary and Energy Secretary.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

We cannot address the urgency of the climate and nature crisis without coordinated global action. This government is committed to boosting the UK’s climate leadership. Rachel Kyte will bring invaluable expertise and experience as we work together with partners to drive the energy transition, support those most vulnerable to the worst impacts of the climate crisis and meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Climate change is the defining issue of our time. The governments mission for clean power by 2030 is about protecting energy security for families and businesses at home, whilst also driving global action to provide climate security for our future generations.

Rachel’s expertise will be invaluable in unlocking climate finance and supporting countries on the front line of the crisis – backing that strong action at home with leadership on the international stage.

Rachel Kyte said:

This government is committed to reconnecting the UK to the world with climate action as a priority. And the world is being shaped politically and economically by climate change.

This provides an opportunity to use international action to help deliver on the UK’s energy mission. And it provides challenges, not least in mobilising the financing to protect people and drive greener growth. There is no time like now for the UK to help drive action and I am excited to play my part in this new role.

The UK Special Representative for Climate role will support ministers to increase senior international diplomatic engagement on climate and clean energy, increasing UK international leadership, building influence, raising global ambition and accelerating progress on UK strategic climate objectives.

A joint role between the FCDO and DESNZ, Ms Kyte will report to both the Foreign Secretary and Energy Secretary.

October 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UK to speed up military kit deliveries to support Ukraine’s fight [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 26 September 2024.

The Government is set to surpass its commitment to deliver 12 AS90 artillery guns within 100 days of taking office, with 16 units now on course to be delivered.

The UK will send more vital artillery guns to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s illegal invasion after the UK recommits to £3 billion a year of military support for Ukraine until 2030/31 and for as long as it takes.

The announcement comes as the UK speeds up the delivery of vital military support, with the new government set to surpass its pledge of delivering 12 AS90 artillery guns within 100 days of taking office.

A total of 16 units are now on course to be delivered, with 10 already delivered and six more to follow in the coming weeks. Artillery has played a vital role in providing cover for Ukrainian troops and destroying key Russian targets.

The government have also announced a new joint MOD and FCDO Ukraine unit – led by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey –which will integrate expertise and help drive a new whole-of-government approach to Ukraine.

Alongside this, defence is creating a new direct cyber pathway to help boost the UK’s cyber resilience, with different tailored selection and basic training requirements.

This scheme would create direct entry paths into cyber careers in Defence and provide routes for lateral entry for specialists who are mid-way through their cyber careers, expanding Defence’s appeal, increasing workforce diversity, and in turn complementing other trades in the services, rather than acting in competition.

The Government has also announced that more than 100 outdated policies have been scrapped or updated since July. These include measures blocking recruitment within the Armed Forces of some sufferers of hay fever, eczema and acne, and some injuries that have fully healed, with work ongoing at pace to modernise recruitment.

October 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : AUKUS meeting announces progress on nuclear reactor training [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 26 September 2024.

AUKUS nations will work closely together to boost global security, following the conclusion of a landmark meeting in London.

Hundreds of Australian defence and civilian personnel will be upskilled in nuclear reactor expertise in 2025 by specialist Royal Navy engineers. The first such course concluded earlier this month, with 250 personnel learning the skills necessary to own, operate, maintain, sustain and regulate a nuclear-powered submarine.

The UK Defence Secretary committed to more UK-delivered training courses as the trilateral Defence Ministers AUKUS meeting concluded in London. John Healey hosted his Australian and US counterparts at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich – the site of the Royal Navy’s initial nuclear reactor training more than 60 years ago.

The United Kingdom and the United States are strengthening superiority in the maritime domain by integrating Sting Ray torpedoes onto P-8A submarine-hunting aircraft. The Sting Ray counters deep diving and conventional submarines, and this move has the potential to boost lethality and stockpile resilience across the AUKUS nations.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said:

“These are serious times, with threats increasing across the globe. Our defence partnerships have never been more important. I am pleased to confirm further skills and capability agreements with our AUKUS partners today.

“Our government will stand shoulder to shoulder with our Australian and the US partners, with new UK leadership in AUKUS and a commitment to boost jobs and growth.

“It has been an honour to host my counterparts in London for this landmark meeting.”

The progress by Australia to build their own nuclear-powered submarine workforce was furthered by Australian personnel last month when they participated in the maintenance of a nuclear-powered attack submarine – the USS Hawaii – for the first time in Australia.

A trilateral statement issued following today’s meeting underlined the security partnership’s continued commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, that is secure and stable. It said the countries will continue to work to uphold the rules-based international order where human rights and the rule of law are respected, and states can make sovereign choices free from coercion.

October 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Defence and Security Advocate reappointed [September 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 26 September 2024.

Lord Lancaster’s appointment as the HMG Defence and Security Advocate extended by the Business and Trade Secretary.
- Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds extends Lord Lancaster’s contract as Defence and Security Advocate for a further three months.
- Lord Lancaster will continue to engage with industry leaders, ministers and other key players both in the UK and overseas to build export relationships with the UK’s partners.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has reappointed Lord Mark Lancaster as the Government’s Defence and Security Advocate, to drive the UK’s defence and security export success for a further three months until 20 December 2024.

Lord Lancaster will report directly to the Business and Trade Secretary and will continue his programme of visits both overseas and at home to promote UK defence and security exports.

Lord Lancaster was initially appointed in January 2023 and has brought a wealth of specialist defence experience to the role. Major-General, Lord Lancaster, is Director of the Army Reserves and was a Defence Minister between 2015-2019. He was also previously a Major in the Territorial Army, having served as part of NATO peacekeeping forces in Kosovo and Bosnia.
October 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Situation between Lebanon and Israel – joint statement [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 September 2024.

Joint statement by Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the UK, USA, and Qatar.

Joint statement:

The situation between Lebanon and Israel since 8 October 2023 is intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation. This is in nobody’s interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon.

It is time to conclude a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes in safety.

Diplomacy however cannot succeed amid an escalation of this conflict.

Thus we call for an immediate 21 day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy towards the conclusion of a diplomatic settlement consistent with UNSCR 1701, and the implementation of UNSCR 2735 regarding a ceasefire in Gaza

We call on all parties, including the Governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary ceasefire immediately consistent with UNSCR 1701 during this period, and to give a real chance to a diplomatic settlement.

We are then prepared to fully support all diplomatic efforts to conclude an agreement between Lebanon and Israel within this period, building on efforts over the last months, that ends this crisis altogether.

October 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with President Lula da Silva of Brazil [September 2024]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 26 September 2024.

The Prime Minister met President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at UNGA this afternoon.

They discussed their shared commitment to tackling global challenges, including the importance of global ambition on climate change and poverty.

The Prime Minister congratulated President Lula on his leadership on tackling both these challenges as President of the G20 and looked forward to the Summit in Rio.

The leaders shared their plans to accelerate the energy transition at home and internationally, and agreed to work closely on this agenda including for COP30.

The Prime Minister also confirmed strong support for President Lula’s G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty.

They also discussed the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Lebanon. The Prime Minister set out his steadfast support for Ukraine and upholding the UN Charter. On the Middle East, the Leaders underlined the importance of ceasefires in both Lebanon and in Gaza.

October 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State visits farm amidst bluetongue outbreaks [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 26 September 2024.

Secretary of State Steve Reed visited an Essex farm this week to hear from NFU representatives and a farmer who recently had animals tested for bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3).

The Secretary of State, accompanied by Animal Plant Health Agency staff, including APHA’s Veterinary Head of Outbreaks for England Sascha Van Helvoort, heard about the impact this disease has been having on the industry and the importance of reporting livestock suspected of having the disease.

Bluetongue virus is primarily transmitted by midge bites and affects cattle, goats, sheep, deer and camelids, with case numbers now increasing dramatically in northern Europe. Symptoms include fever, lethargy, ulcers or sores in the mouth or nose, and reduced milk yield.

Disease control zones were put in place to control the movement of potentially affected animals as soon as bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) was detected. These zones have been under constant review and adjustment as the disease situation has developed, such as when evidence of local transmission of disease emerged. A single Restricted Zone is now in place covering the east of England from Lincolnshire to West Sussex.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, said:

I have heard first-hand the experiences of farmers battling this disease and we are working hard to prevent its spread into other areas of England and Great Britain.

We understand restrictions can have an impact but stress the importance of everyone adhering to these. We are committed to working with everyone affected and urge people to report livestock they suspect have the disease.

Sascha Van Helvoort, APHA Veterinary Head of Field Delivery and Veterinary Head of Outbreaks for England, said:

The increasing number of bluetongue virus (BTV-3) cases demonstrate the importance of vigilance from all livestock keepers and farmers.

We have field teams, vets and scientists across the country who are working hard to help tackle bluetongue virus and ensure farmers are being supported.

If you have any suspicions of disease, you must report this to the Animal Plant Health Agency immediately so we can provide assistance.

Defra has permitted use of the currently available unauthorised BTV-3 vaccines, subject to licence. We recommend animal keepers work with their veterinarians to decide if vaccination is right for their animals. To prioritise initial supplies, a general licence allows those in high-risk counties of England to use the vaccine. Specific licences can be applied for through APHA by animal keepers elsewhere in England who wish to use the vaccine

BTV is a notifiable disease. Suspicion of BTV in animals in England must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency on 03000 200 301, 03003 038 268 in Wales or your local Field Services Office in Scotland.

October 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : First ever UK-hosted meeting of AUKUS Defence Ministers as UK-Australia set to commence defence treaty negotiations [September 2024]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 26 September 2024.

A landmark AUKUS meeting will be held in the UK today as the Defence Secretary John Healey hosts counterparts from the US and Australia in London.
- Landmark meeting as Defence Ministers from AUKUS partners meet outside the US for first time.
- Negotiations set to commence on UK-Australia treaty to define defence relationship for decades.
- Billions of pounds of UK exports expected to support Australian submarine build, with AUKUS to support over 21,000 UK jobs and helping to grow the economy.
The meeting will be the first trilateral Defence Ministers AUKUS meeting to be held outside of the United States. Healey will host US Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin III and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles to discuss the importance of the AUKUS partnership.

It comes as the UK and Australia have agreed plans to commence negotiations on a bilateral AUKUS treaty between the UK and Australia. The treaty will establish the strategic and operational framework for bilateral cooperation under AUKUS with a focus on the core elements of the delivery of SSN-AUKUS.

Given the importance of accelerating the design, build and delivery of SSN-AUKUS, Australia and the UK agreed these negotiations should occur at pace and with high priority.

This first-of-its-kind treaty between the two countries could create a major UK trade boost – it is estimated that facilitating the SSN-AUKUS build in Australia will see billions of pounds of submarine components exported from the UK through our defence industry supply chains. The treaty will lay out the nations’ relationship on submarine co-operation, as work progresses on future conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered attack submarines for the UK and Australia.

The three-year anniversary of the landmark AUKUS partnership was marked this month, following shortly after a historic breakthrough in defence trade was reached between the UK, US, and Australia.

The significant reduction in red tape will cover up to £500 million of UK defence exports each year, and billions of dollars of trade across all three nations, helping boost UK economic growth.

In a further boost for the UK economy, it is estimated at its peak the future AUKUS attack submarine programme will have more than 21,000 people working on it at UK sites, with the work generating an additional 7,000 skilled roles.

UK Defence Secretary, John Healey said:

I’m proud to be the first UK Defence Secretary to host a meeting of AUKUS Defence Ministers in Britain.

As AUKUS partners, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder in an increasingly unstable world. This is a partnership that will boost jobs, growth and prosperity across our three nations, as well as strengthening our collective security.

I’m delighted that we will soon be commencing negotiations on a bilateral AUKUS treaty with Australia, which will help create a more secure and stable Indo-Pacific for decades to come.

The treaty work comes off the back of a UK-Australia Defence and Security Cooperation Agreement being signed earlier this year, helping make it easier for our Armed Forces to operate together in each other’s countries and facilitate UK submarine crews visiting Australia as part of the AUKUS partnership.

Since the AUKUS launch, nearly £10 billion of investment has been allocated towards UK nuclear work and infrastructure:
- £4 billion to progress SSN-AUKUS UK submarines through design, prototyping and initial purchases.
- £3 billion for new advanced manufacturing capabilities in Barrow-in-Furness and Derby.
- £2.4 billion over ten years from Australia to boost Rolls-Royce infrastructure and to share costs on SSN-AUKUS submarine design.
Through AUKUS Pillar 2, Australia, the UK and the US are pooling the talents of their defence sectors to develop at pace the delivery of advanced capabilities. Four UK companies have been selected by the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) to receive a share of £2 million of funding to develop solutions in electromagnetic targeting and protection.

The competition was run to find low cost, disposable, high volume and highly autonomous electromagnetic technology that can detect enemy actions or protect against them.
October 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : The UK is working with partners around the world to prevent global health threats like AMR – UK statement at the UN General Assembly [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 September 2024.

Statement by the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, at the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance.

The world faces tremendous challenges, so many of which are connected. Connected challenges require of course connected solutions.

And the new UK government is determined to renew relationships with allies, especially in the Global South, and to modernise our approach to development, rooted in a spirit of genuine partnership.

We cannot hope to achieve any of our development goals without being able to prevent global health threats like AMR which, unless we act, will take almost 40 million lives by 2050.

That is what we learnt from COVID, and we’re determined to play our role in addressing the lessons of the last pandemic.

Central to that will be tackling the injustice of inequitable access.

New UK-funded data shows that 92 million lives – mainly of course in Global South countries – will be lost by 2050 due to a lack of access to both health care and to antibiotics.

This is intolerable and it must not continue.

This ambitious Political Declaration shows that we can achieve so much when we work together for the common good.

To those who say that the world is too divided to agree on anything meaningful – we have shown how wrong they are.

But this is only the beginning. We must now swiftly translate today’s commitments to strong collective action on the ground in the service of our fellow citizens

The UK is working with partners around the world, including through our existing Fleming Fund network in low- and middle-income countries.

And we are now working to improve access to antimicrobial drugs in Africa, to strengthen AMR capabilities in the Caribbean, and to support a new independent science panel that has the strongest possible buy-in from the countries of the Global South and which I hope will be located in the Global South.

So let us get to work. Let us, together, ensure that future generations, no matter where they are born, look back at this moment as the time we collectively resolved to secure this incredible life-saving gift for all humanity.

October 21, 2024