The stability of the Middle East is paramount to delivering a
foundation of security at home, the Prime Minister has said
during a visit to the Gulf today.
It comes as the Prime Minister pledges to step up the UK's
engagement in the Middle East, to support the long-term stability
of the vitally important region, both now and in the future.
Meeting leaders in the Middle East today, the Prime Minister said
the UK will play a more present and consistent role in the
region, and work with partners to increase defence cooperation to
strengthen deterrence of threats across land, sea, space, air and
cyber.
And following the unprecedented events in Syria, the UK is
providing an additional £11 million of humanitarian aid for the
most vulnerable in the country.
This will help the UN and NGOs meet the needs of the most
vulnerable across the country, including the more than 370,000
people estimated to have been displaced by recent events.
It follows the Prime Minister agreeing a step change in defence
partnership with Saudi Arabia today, to enhance the
strategic partnership between the two countries and pave the
way for greater defence industrial cooperation.
This covers all aspects of the UK-Saudi defence relationship,
including on combat air, and provides a framework for closer
collaboration for generations to come.
The Royal Saudi Air Force has operated UK- manufactured Typhoon
combat aircraft since 2008, following a deal signed in 2006 with
BAE Systems.
Prime Minister said:
“From cutting the cost of living for hardworking British people,
to building resilient supply chains or supporting communities in
Britain, what happens in the Middle East matters at home.
“That is why we are strengthening our defence partnership with
Saudi Arabia, protecting the most vulnerable in Syria,
supporting our partners in Lebanon and working with the
international community to push for a ceasefire in Israel and
Gaza, secure the return of all hostages and accelerate aid into
Gaza.
“To deliver on my plan for change, we need a strong foundation of
security but that cannot just be built at home, it requires us to
play our part on the world stage to support stability and protect
partners from threats, both now and in the future.”
The visit comes as the UK steps up its work towards a viable
two-state solution in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian
Territories in the future and builds on the ceasefire agreement
between Israel and Lebanon.
As part of that work, Sir Michael Barber KB has been
re-appointed by this Government as the UK's Envoy for
Palestinian Authority Governance, in addition to his role as the
adviser on Effective Delivery. Sir
Michael is supporting the Palestinian Authority as it
implements its vital reform agenda to strengthen its delivery
capacity and improve service provision.
The appointment reinforces the importance the government is
placing on forging a foundation of security to ensure delivery on
the government's missions, with the Middle East vital to UK
supply chains and delivering on growth.
Recent insight gathered by the British Chamber of Commerce
revealed 50% of UK businesses have been impacted by the Israel –
Gaza conflict, while the instability has caused shipping
container rates to fluctuate significantly. The cost of shipping
a 40ft container from Shanghai to Rotterdam has risen from just
over $1,000 since October 2023, to just under $4,000 now, having
peaked at over $8,000 in July, further squeezing British
businesses and impacting hardworking consumers.
As part of the pledge to play a greater role in the region, the
UK will also bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with a major
package of assistance to support the ceasefire agreed between
Lebanon and Israel.
The LAF are essential to the future security and stability of
Lebanon, Israel and the wider region as the only legitimate
military force of the Lebanese state.
The UK will support the initial training of hundreds of LAF
recruits and provide equipment, through contractors, to the LAF
as it increases its deployment in southern Lebanon.
This will enable an enhanced LAF deployment into the area that
Lebanese Hizballah has agreed to withdraw from under the terms of
the ceasefire agreement.
It comes after the Minister for the Middle East, , travelled to Bahrain at
the weekend to agree the UK would join the US-Bahrain
Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement
(C-SIPA), which aims to build long-term security and stability
across the Middle East.
The UK, US and Bahrain hope this move will encourage others, in
the region and beyond, to work towards regional stabilisation and
integration through shared values, security and prosperity.
