Within twenty-four hours of his appointment, Foreign
Secretary has decided to travel straight to the Philippines
for the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
Nations) Foreign Ministerial Meeting.
This continues the immediate momentum the Foreign Secretary has
set in the new role, building on
his first evening in the office in which he
was briefed on key issues including Iran, the Strait of
Hormuz and national security. He has met with the King,
heads of GCHQ and MI6, held an all-staff
meeting and kicked off a series of diplomatic
engagements by speaking to Ukrainian Foreign
Minister Sybiha.
Arriving in the Philippines on Wednesday 22nd July, the
Foreign Secretary will attend the ASEAN-UK Post Ministerial
Conference where he will set out his value-based foreign policy,
grounded in a commitment to democracy, freedom and the
rule of law. He will highlight how important partnerships like
ASEAN are at a time where security in the Indo-Pacific and the
Euro-Atlantic are increasingly intertwined affecting the daily
lives of families and businesses across the globe.
Wasting no time in engaging with his new counterparts, the
Foreign Secretary will use ASEAN's convening powers to hold a
series of bilateral meetings, expected to
be with the EU, Ukraine, USA, China, India,
Canada, Australia and Japan, as well as partners in
Southeast Asia.
In his expected bilateral
with Marco Rubio, the Foreign
Secretary is expected
to reiterate his commitment to strengthening
the US
and UK's relationship, following the productive first
call between Prime Minister Andy and
President Trump.
In his expected bilateral with Kaja Kallas, the EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Secretary will
reiterate his commitment to deepen and strengthen the UK's
strategic alliance with the European Union, an integral partner
for the UK's prosperity and security.
The Foreign Secretary will also use his time at ASEAN
to push for collective work on tackling the climate crisis,
strengthening our partnerships for international development and
reforming international institutions. ASEAN is one of
the world's most important political groupings, with GDP
equivalent to the world's fifth largest economy,
and convening over thirty countries spanning the
Indo-Pacific and beyond.
At an all-staff meeting earlier today, the Foreign
Secretary said the below:
My approach that I've set out on values means we
continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine
against Russia's invasion. And, as the PM said very clearly
yesterday, that we play our part in seeking to end the
conflict in Iran and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. And that we
work for a sustainable peace in Palestine and Israel, including
an end to the terrible suffering of the people of Gaza and
ensuring security for the people of Palestine and
Israel.
[...]
I believe that we are stronger working for our national
interest, working with others and so we've got to
defend our multilateral institutions, whether that's NATO or the
United Nations. We should continue the Coalition of the Willing
in relation to Ukraine, that the former Prime Minister
began, the work on maritime protection in the context of the
Strait of Hormuz. And we can't talk about
multilateralism without talking about Europe. It's absolutely at
the core of our future in my view, to build a deeper strategic
alliance with the European Union rooted in trade, interest and
values, as well as nurturing our strong and enduring relationship
with the United States and also building alliances around the
world, including in the Global South, as we strengthen our
partnerships for development.
