Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in (a) the US and (b) Iran on negotiations to restore Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action compliance.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Negotiations to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) are continuing in Vienna. On 10 December, the Foreign Secretary met E3 and US Foreign Ministers to discuss progress. I met them again on 20 January. We are resolute that Iran's continued nuclear escalation means that time is running out to conclude a deal. The Foreign Secretary continues to make this explicitly clear in her engagement with Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to aid Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis during the winter months.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to address the situation, working with the UN Security Council, the G20, the G7 and countries in the region. The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and other Ministers have all been working extensively with world leaders.
In August 2021, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would double its assistance for Afghanistan to £286 million this financial year, and we have now disbursed over £145 million. That will support over 3.4 million people in Afghanistan and the region, providing emergency food, healthcare, shelter, water and protection. We are working at pace to allocate the remaining funding in response to the crisis and the new UN appeal. I thank the British people for donating to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal launched in December, which has raised a total of £28 million so far, including £10 million provided by the UK Government through the UK Aid Match scheme.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with (a) NATO and (b) her European counterparts on Russia’s continued military build-up on Ukraine’s border.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Foreign Secretary spoke with EU Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, and NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, on 28 December. She also spoke with her US, German and French counterparts on 30 December and attended a virtual meeting with NATO Foreign Ministers on 7 January.
The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with her Ukrainian counterpart Foreign Minister Kuleba - as well as hosting him in London on 8 December, they spoke on 26 November, 1 December and most recently on 4 January. She will visit Ukraine in the next few weeks for further discussions. The Prime Minister spoke to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on 13 January.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of recent events in Bosnia and Herzegovina and their geopolitical implications on the Western Balkans.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The UK supports Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) territorial integrity. Threats from within the Republika Srpska to withdraw from State institutions are dangerous, and amount to an attempt at de facto secession. We condemn Russian interference in the crisis, which undermines EU and NATO accession ambitions, sows division, and undermines stability. We work closely with partners in the Western Balkans (WB) region to strengthen stability, democracy and rule of law, and to tackle organised crime and corruption. The Foreign Secretary convened a meeting of WB Foreign Ministers in London on 13 December, to discuss strengthening economic and security ties and supporting freedom and stability in the region. The appointment by the Prime Minister of a Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Sir Stuart Peach, clearly demonstrates the UK's ongoing commitment to the region's stability. The Special Envoy has already visited BiH and Albania.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the recent violent unrest against protestors in Kazakhstan.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is closely following events in Kazakhstan. We greatly regret the loss of life and injuries sustained as a result of recent unrest and condemn the violence and destruction of property that occurred, particularly in the city of Almaty. The reasons behind the violence remain unclear, although we note that President Tokayev has characterised what happened as an 'attempted coup'. We also take note of the President's decision to establish an investigative commission and await a full account of what led to these unprecedented events and loss of life. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Minister of State responsible for Human Rights, was assured by President Tokayev's Special Representative, Ambassador Kazykhan, that the work of the commission would be transparent and effective.
The Government's long-standing position is that legitimate protest must be peaceful and genuine grievances resolved through dialogue. We have called for law enforcement responses to be proportionate, and for freedom of speech and expression to be respected in line with Kazakhstan's international commitments. We will continue to underline these points in our engagement with the Kazakh government, as we seek to understand the chain of events and to ensure that human rights are upheld.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps the Government is taking to help tackle the escalating conflict in Ethiopia and the prospect of a humanitarian catastrophe in that country.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We are extremely concerned by the ongoing conflict in northern Ethiopia and the implications it has for the country as a whole.
The UK is working to bring an end to the violence and to facilitate humanitarian access. I have called on all parties to urgently agree a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid through. I spoke with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Redwan on 18 November, stressing the need for all parties to the conflict to engage in meaningful talks, lift the blockade on aid, and end the mobilisation of civilians and ethnically targeted arrests. I also spoke to Ethiopian Minister of Justice Gedion on 6 December and pressed for an end to the fighting and for peace talks. I have continued to emphasise the need for a ceasefire through recent calls with my international counterparts, including Kenya and the African Union (AU). I spoke with the AU High Representative for the Horn of African Region, Olusegun Obasanjo on 4 November to discuss the situation and make clear our strong support, for his efforts to end the conflict. I also spoke with AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole, on 8 November and pressed him on the need for the AU to find a way forward.
UK officials have also travelled to Tigray on multiple occasions since November 2020 to promote mediation and humanitarian efforts. Overall, the UK has provided more than £76 million of funding to respond to the humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict, making the UK the second largest donor.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to UK officials meeting with senior members of the Taliban on 5 October 2021, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts on Afghanistan’s interim government.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Foreign Secretary discussed Afghanistan at the NATO Foreign Minister's meeting in Riga on 30 November and has had bilateral discussions with a range of other partners, including in the margins of COP26. The Foreign Secretary will be convening a discussion on Afghanistan at the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers meeting in Liverpool on 10 December.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the build-up of Russian forces along the border of Ukraine.
Answered by Wendy Morton
We are deeply concerned by Russia's pattern of military build-ups in and around Ukraine and are closely monitoring the situation. The Prime Minister spoke with President Putin on 25 October and President Zelenskyy on 1 November where he underscored UK support for Ukrainian sovereignty. The Foreign Secretary spoke to her Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov on 2 December and re-stated the UK's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, urging the Russian government to de-escalate the situation. The Foreign Secretary also spoke to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba on 26 November and 1 December to reassure Ukraine of our support. On the 8 December in London, the Foreign Secretary met Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba at the inaugural UK-Ukraine Strategic Dialogue and agreed to continue UK support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, deepen the trade relationship and invest in our shared future.
We have been clear with Russia that incursion into Ukraine would be a strategic mistake. The costs of an incursion would be catastrophically high and result in massive strategic consequences. We need to deter Russia from aggressive actions against Ukraine and we are looking at a package of sanctions to raise the cost of any further aggressive actions. We will back Ukraine in the face of destabilising or threatening behaviour. We have demonstrated strong support to Ukraine. The UK, alongside allies and partners, stand with Ukraine in opposing Russian threats to Ukraine's security and territorial integrity, and already support Ukrainian military development as well as regularly exercising with their armed forces.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress her Department has made on the resumption of consular services in Afghanistan.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
British nationals who remain in Afghanistan are strongly encouraged to register their presence to receive important updates. The FCDO continues to provide remote consular assistance to British nationals and eligible dependents in Afghanistan, supporting more than 110 British nationals to leave via land or air routes since 9 September 2021.Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department's press release, UK officials travel to Afghanistan, published on 5 October 2021, what further discussions officials in her Department have had with representatives of the authorities in Afghanistan since 5 October 2021; and what further meetings officials in her Department plan to have with those representatives.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
On 5 October, Sir Simon Gass (the Prime Minister's Special Representative for the Afghan Transition) and Dr Martin Longden (Chargé d'Affaires of the UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha) visited Kabul where they met senior members of the Taliban. Further, on 12 October a senior-level Taliban delegation met with Dr Longden and other international partners in Doha. During these conversations the UK underlined the importance of safe passage to the UK for British Nationals and eligible Afghans, as well as the UK's key interests on counterterrorism, humanitarian issues, and human rights (including girls' education). The UK remains committed to a pragmatic and exploratory dialogue with the Taliban, and will continue to engage the authorities in Kabul, and their representatives in Doha, in support of the Afghan people, including on freedom of movement. We have no immediate plans to visit Kabul at present.