Asked by: Miriam Cates (Conservative - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of Supreme Leader Khamenei’s recent statement about NATO.
Answered by Graham Stuart
We are aware of these comments. NATO is a defensive alliance and adheres to international law and to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. NATO's enduring purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of its Allies. Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine has gravely undermined our security environment. The Alliance shares our unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. We fully support Ukraine's inherent right to self-defence and to choose its own security arrangements.
Asked by: Miriam Cates (Conservative - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
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 implications for her policies of the joint US-Israel declaration on preventing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We note the US and Israel adopted the Jerusalem Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration in July 2022. The UK's long-standing objective is that Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. Iran has been in non-compliance with its nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) since 2019 and its nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today. Iran's escalation of its nuclear activities is threatening regional and international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system.
There has been a viable deal on the table since March which would return Iran to compliance with its JCPoA commitments, and return the US to the deal. The deal would reverse Iran's nuclear escalation, return Iran's nuclear programme to strict JCPoA limits and restore extensive monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency. If Iran fails to conclude the deal its nuclear escalation will cause the collapse of the JCPoA. In this scenario we would carefully consider all options in partnership with our allies.
Asked by: Miriam Cates (Conservative - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to progress Israel-Saudi Arabia normalisation talks.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK is committed to working with Arab and Israeli partners to help deliver shared prosperity and regional security. The Foreign Secretary made clear her commitment to the Abraham Accords at both the UK-Israel Strategic Dialogue on 29 November 2021, and subsequently at the Gulf Cooperation Council-United Kingdom Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 20 December 2021. The UK is working with regional partners to ensure the Abraham Accords are an enduring success, and continue to encourage other countries who have not yet normalised to do so. I discussed this point with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll during my visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in June 2022.