Dr Robin Niblett CMG
So, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Chatham House, and welcome to a fairly full – yeah, we’ll turn that microphone – thank you very much – a fairly full room. It is on the record, so I’m not so worried when I hear things making their particular noise, though we may have to bury that in a minute. Is that the cricket score? I’m trying to work out, is that the test, ‘cause if you’ve got it on, I’d rather you switched it off, actually. I don’t want to know about that at all. Sorry, Secretary of State, I’m sure our members are utterly focused on the issue at hand.
So, I want to say a very big welcome to all of you obviously here, and a big welcome to Elizabeth Truss, The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. I wanted to say welcome back, but I can’t really say that now, because the last time we had the opportunity to host the Secretary of State was when she was Secretary of State for International Trade, and it was online last year, so – but nonetheless, it is a form of welcome back, and a big welcome to all of our members, both you here in the room, great to see so many of you joining us today, and also, the many who are joining us online, fantastic to have you with us as well for this opportunity to talk through the Government’s Foreign Policy priorities, the Secretary of State’s Foreign Policy priorities for the UK going forward. As I said, this meeting is on the record, you can tweet away #CHEvents. Our policy please, is to have your masks on when you’re in the room, thank you, you will have them on, and it’s masks on the move, when you are moving around the building, so please do that.
So, when we get to the Q&A, I’ll repeat this later on but for those of you in the room, please stay seated, wait for the boom mic to come to you, and you can take your mask of while you ask your question. And for those online, a reminder that the questions can be submitted to me via the Q&A function, not chat and not the raised hand function, but through a Q&A and I can join you later.
Obviously, there’s a great interest in where Britain’s Foreign Policy is going in the coming years, and – I’ll do that, okay, you got it, it’s one of those Grolsch tops – there’s great interest in the future of Britain’s foreign policy, how will the relationship playout with the United States, with the European Union, multi-lateral institutions, where does a more global economy fit into the Government’s priorities here and obviously, some very topical and near-term issues like Ukraine, Indo-Pacific and then, of course, we’ve come out of Cop26 and there is no shortage of topics to cover today and we look forward very much, Secretary of State, to your remarks. And I think all of you know, the Secretary of State took up her position as Member of Parliament only in 2010. I say, only in 2010 because, she became Foreign Secretary September of this year, having served two years as the Secretary of State for International Trade and, prior to that, she’s already served as Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice and also as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, which was your last position before International Trade. So, very well-placed to give a few of this Government’s priorities. Welcome very much, Secretary of State, to Chatham House. We look forward to your remarks and then some Q&A. Over to you. Thank you very much for joining us [applause].
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
Well, thank you very much, Robin, and it’s fantastic to be here at Chatham House today. The world is moving very fast, and ideas are moving even faster. This revolution is why we enjoy incredible freedom, powered by free enterprise and technology. Our businesses are driving the COVID recovery, our Scientists are saving the world through their miracle vaccines, and we’re vaccinating the British population in record time.
Yet this progress shouldn’t blind us to the pitfalls. Hostile forces are using disinformation to undermine truth. Extremists are perpetuating malign ideologies through social media. Autocratic regimes are using this maelstrom of militancy, mistrust and misinformation to gain the upper hand. Now is the time for the free world to fight back, and to use the power of economics and technology to promote freedom, not fear.
Let’s be honest, in recent years, the free world has taken its eye of the ball. After the collapse of communism, many breathed a sigh of relief and called it the end of history, confident that freedom and democracy would inexorably go global under its own steam. Societies turned inwards, rather than engaging with the big ideas shaping the world. Failed ideas ran rife, like the post-modernist philosophy that there is no objective truth. In fashionable circles, people talked about how we should be ashamed of our history and doubtful about our future. There was strategic drift, defence spending fell, countries became strategically dependant on cheap gas, or reliant on others for vital technology like 5G. This complacency is being exploited by those who never stop fighting the global battle of ideas. They’ve been relentlessly building their influence, offering a quick buck to anyone who would take it, with strings attached for sovereignty and national security.
It’s time to wake up. The free world’s age of introspection must end now. Instead, we need the age of ideas, influence and inspiration, and that’s why Britain is determined to work with our friends to form a network of liberty that spans the world. As JFK put it, we will inspire others, not with an imperialism, a force or fear, but the rule of courage and freedom and hope for the future of man.
We know we will succeed, because we are free and democratic nations. We believe in individual liberty, in humanity and dignity, and the power of people, the greatest transformative force on earth. That is what our adversaries always get wrong. They put groups ahead of individuals, they want to make people work for the system. We want to make the system work for people. We know that when people have agency over their own lives, when they have freedom and opportunity, they achieve incredible things. This is the principle our country’s based. You can see it in the advancement of rights under Magna Carta, the establishment of the Rule of Law, or the pioneering of free-market economics, all ideas that inspired the world.
So, it’s time to be proud of who we are and what we stand for. It’s time to dump the baggage holding us back. Our history, warts and all, makes us what we are today. Britain is the greatest country on earth. Whoever you are, wherever you come from, you can achieve your dreams. And that’s why, when I speak to foreign governments and businesses, they want to work with Britain.
In my 12 weeks as Foreign Secretary, we’ve already secured partnership agreements with seven countries, from Greece to Israel to Malaysia. People want to do business with Britain. They trust us, and they see things in Britain that they would like for their own countries. They see that, in Britain, your background is no barrier to becoming a Chief Executive, a top footballer or the Mayor of London. They recognise we are a science and tech superpower, home to the third largest number of tech unicorns in the world. They know we’re an economic powerhouse, growing faster than any other G7 nation. From The Beatles to Sarah Gilbert, to Tim Berners-Lee, we have unrivalled influence in the world. So, our foreign policy will project pride in our country and in all its elements, including our great cities, our towns and our countryside, whether it’s by promoting our manufacturing from Sunderland’s electric cards, to Derby’s small, modular, nuclear reactors, or by bringing the world to Glasgow for COP26, which took an historic step forward in tackling climate change. Or by bringing the G7 to Liverpool this weekend, a city whose global influence in culture, sport and music is stronger than ever.
We have so much to be proud of, so I am putting this at the heart of our Foreign Office’s mission, to go out there, influencing and inspiring others to join our cause. The Office itself is a national asset. We have the best Diplomats in the world and a diplomatic network with unique reach and expertise. It represents us across 180 countries, speaking 46 different languages; everything from Albanian to Urdu.
The Henry Jackson Society’s League Table ranks the UK as the second most powerful country on the globe, precisely because of our diplomatic clout. We united with our friends and family across the Commonwealth, covering a third of the world’s population and our diplomatic heft has been shown time-and-time again. After the Salisbury attack, we worked with 27 other countries to lead the largest collective expulsion of Russian Diplomats in foreign history. We were the first European country to impose sanctions on Belarus and only last weekend, we lifted the US’s decades long ban on British lamb. So, we will keep increasing our reach and strengthening our network.
I’ve just cut the ribbon on new Embassy buildings in Mexico City and Bangkok and our formidable diplomatic machine will be put to work, relentlessly promoting Britain. Our Diplomats will go out there in a positive, proud and patriotic spirit. We won’t lecture others. Instead, we will lead by example. We won’t hand drain. Instead, we will reach out with our ideas and inspiration. We will be unashamedly commercial, hosting business delegations from all our cities across the UK, and paving the way towards new tech, trade and security agreements, which will help level up our country from Govan to Gloucester.
And I, as Foreign Secretary, will empower the men and women across our Embassies and High Commissions with everything they need to go out there because we need to be on the front foot with our friends across the free world. The battle for economic influence is already in full flow. China now spends twice as much on development finance as the United States. 44 low and middle-income countries have debts to Beijing in excess of 10% of their GDP. The EU relies on Russia for over 40% of its gas, and with some countries, Russia has a complete monopoly of supply. If Russia gets it way, Europe will be increasingly hooked on its gas.
We have to end this strategic dependency, whether it’s on energy, investment or technology. We have to provide and alternative, and that means stepping up our engagement and our investment. It means shaping the economy, including the next wave of technology, like quantum computing, 6G, artificial intelligence and much more, and the United Kingdom is in a unique position to lead the charge on this. After almost 50 years in the EU, once again, all the levers of international policy are in our hands: diplomacy, development, trade, and security. It’s a new opportunity for the UK to shape the international agenda. An unfrozen that we must capitalise on. As an outward looking sovereign nation, we’re re-building our muscle to fulfil the promise of global Britain, ready to win opportunities for our country and win the future for freedom. Our adversaries seek to use economics and technology as tools of control. We want to use them as tools of liberation, and we will use all of Britain’s influence, ideas and inspiration to achieve this.
Firstly, we are reaching out to build new economic partnerships. Following our free trade agreements with 70 countries plus the EU, my successor, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, is pursuing a trade deal with India and accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and those will mean that two-thirds of our trade will be covered by trade deals. We’re also building new partnerships with low and middle-income countries. We’ve launched British-International investment, our honest, reliable alternative, providing infrastructure finance and support for the Green Transition.
The BII will help deliver £8 billion a year in UK-backed financing by 2025, up from £1.5 billion last year, and we will leverage the fire power of the City of London. For the first time, we’ll be supporting projects in South-East Asia and the Caribbean, as well as Africa, drawing them closer to major free market democracies like the UK. And early next year, I will be launching our new development strategy. Alongside our new approach on investment, it will focus on providing women and girls with the freedom they need to succeed. It will commit us to stepping up our response to humanitarian crises around the world, and it will ensure our development policies support our belief in freedom and democracy.
Second, as a science and tech superpower, we will make sure that the free world leads the way in technologies of the future. We’re joining forces with our friends to win supremacy in areas like quantum, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and more and we’re forging new partnerships with fellow tech powerhouses like India, Indonesia, and Israel. We have a crack team of tech experts driving this forward in more than 40 diplomatic posts across the globe and we’re working with our friends to set standards in tech, from intellectual property to the free flow of data. This is just a glimpse of what’s to come. We’re negotiating new tech partnerships with the United States. We’re in talks with Singapore and more, and in the new year, I will set out a new approach for the UK’s tech leadership on the global stage.
Thirdly, all of this has to be underpinned by stronger security ties. We are building a network of security partnerships to protect our people, our partners, and our freedoms, including on the high seas. We’re forging cyber-partnerships with allies around the world, from ASEAN to India, Canada and more. And we’re building our traditional security capabilities, with the largest rise in defence spending for a generation. We’re putting our money where our mouth is, by devoting our 2% of our GDP to defence, making us Europe’s largest NATO contributor. We’re steadfast in NATO, The Five Eyes intelligence partnership and the Five Power Defence Arrangements with Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore.
At the same time, we are going and faster in other areas, such as our new AUKUS partnership. By joining forces with the US and Australia, we’re protecting sea routes and stability across the Indo-Pacific and we’re deepening our work with Canada to cover regions such as the Arctic and beyond. We are working to advance our interests from a position of strength. Last week, I visited our troops in Estonia and I joined NATO Foreign Ministers in Riga. Together, we will send a clear message that any incursion by Russia into Ukraine would be a strategic mistake. As President Biden said, “There would be very real costs to pay.” We stand with Ukraine in supporting their security and defence and helping them become more energy independent. Later today, I’ll be meeting my Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, to strengthen our ties further. We’ll also work night and day to prevent the Iranian regime for ever getting a nuclear weapon, and we’ll continue to work with our partners to respond to the security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
In all of these areas and more we’re taking the lead. We’re seizing the initiative and we’re standing up for freedom and democracy. We’re using all of our weight, as the world’s fifth largest economy, British-International investment, leadership in technology, increased defence spending and new, deeper trade deals. We are getting out there to build the network of liberty and advance the frontiers of freedom, and I am delighted to see that our friends are stepping up too.
Japan has just appointed an Economic Security Minister and they’re developing new technology like 6G. Australia is building trade and security links around the world. I want to see all of our allies step up and seize this moment. I want to see all freedom-loving nations calling time on introspection, protectionism and isolationism. When we put freedom first, we all benefit. The more freedom-loving countries trade with each other, build security links, investment in our partners and pull more countries into the orbit of freedom, the safe and freer we all are.
New agreements between like-minded countries, even when you’re not part of them, are there to be celebrated. It isn’t a zero-sum game. Friends want friends to be successful. When the US works on a new economic partnership with Japan, as Ambassador Tai has been doing with Minister Hayashi, or when the EU announces its new Global Gateway Scheme to invest in developing countries, we all benefit. But we need to go further. I want to see our partners stepping up in funding NATO, cutting strategic dependence on Russian gas, putting more investment into developing countries, joining the CPTPP and challenging malign acts.
The G7 covers half of global GDP and even more with our friends across the world, including ASEAN. By joining forces and bringing other freedom-loving nations with us, we will create the future we all want to see. So, when I meet the G7 in Liverpool this weekend, my message will be clear. It’s time to get on the front foot and join us in advancing the frontiers of freedom. It’s time to dump the baggage, ditch the introspection and step forward, proud of who we are, what we stand for, ready to shape the world anew. Let’s stop fighting about the past. Let’s start fighting for the future. By championing our ideas, building our influence and inspiring others with our cause, we can forge ahead as a global network of liberty. That’s how we will rise to the challenge in this fast-changing world. It’s how we’ll win the battle for ideas and influence once again, and it’s how we’ll ensure that free societies and democracies don’t just survive, they thrive. Thank you [applause].
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Thank you very much, Secretary of State. Just to remind everyone, we’re going to take some questions. If you’re joining us online, please put them into the Q&A box and we’ll do our best to get to you over time. Obviously, with members having taken the trouble to come into the room, I want to make sure that we get to ask a few questions here as well, so I will come to you. I can see lots of hands going up, so just bear with me, I’ll do my very best to get to as many of you as possible.
Secretary of State, you talked about this time for the age of introspection must end, it’s the time for an age of new ideas, new influence, new inspiration, and the network of liberty obviously is at the core of that. If I could just ask you one, kind of, sort of, set-up question if I may, then I am going to go straight to the room ‘cause we’ve got limited time and want to get as many ideas and questions on the table as possible.
You used another phrase, which I suppose ties into your previous role as the Secretary of State for International Trade. You said, “We must be “unashamedly commercial.” Perfectly understand, it’s a tough world out there. Everyone’s trying to get some economic advantage. I’m just wondering about how you would link the ‘unashamedly commercial’ with the network of liberty. In particular, you know, there are some countries that are our allies, from a security standpoint to the UK, Saudi Arabia, historically, maybe Vietnam in the future, where one may want to have those commercial and ‘unashamedly commercial’ relationships, but where their sort of fit within the ‘leadership by example’ and the values you’ve described is going to be a tough one. And I’m just wondering how you, now you’ve got this double seat, if you see what I’m saying, of both pushing the UK’s commercial interest, but also very much looking after it’s values agenda, how are you going to bridge that gap, which inevitably it faces every Foreign Secretary, but you included?
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
In the long-term, what we know is that free enterprise economies, based on individual liberty and democracy are the ones that succeed because those are the home for new ideas, that’s the way you get enterprises to be set up. It’s by giving people power over their own lives, giving them that agency. So, it’s very important, in pursuit of our economic goals in the short and medium-term, we don’t do things that undermine free enterprise, democracy. And that’s the point I’m making. That’s why I’m saying that we should be working more closely with likeminded allies.
Now, not all of those countries, as the ones you just mentioned, are free enterprise democracies. However, many of those countries want to live in a world where free enterprise democracies survive and thrive. So, it’s all about working with countries who don’t actively want to undermine the way of life we have here in the United Kingdom, and also across our G7 partners. Hence my point about strategic dependency. You know, we need to avoid strategic dependency on Russian gas, we need to avoid strategic dependency on China, and we need to make sure that technology standards are shaped by the free world. But of course, the point I’m making is, the best way I believe of the UK having influence is by example, and I really am struck by when I travel overseas, of people admiring the democracy in the UK, tolerance, freedom that people have, our technology industries and I think we need to be proud of that and promoting that.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Thank you very much, and that’s a – I mean, that’s a straight answer, working with those countries that don’t want to undermine UK and other democracies, even if they have different values, this is a different angle. Right, thank you very much. Let me bring a few questions in. I’m going to go, first of all, right, front here, the question, I’ll take two, and I’ll take the lady there in the middle. So, wait for the microphone to come, stay seated, mask off when it comes. One, two, yeah.
James Landale
Foreign Secretary, James Landale BBC. First of all, why should people obey COVID rules from Government when and if Downing Street breaks those rules and then jokes and lies about having done so? And secondly, what changes are you going to make to the Foreign Office and the way it handles crises after the evident organisational failures of the Afghan evacuation, as made clear by the whistle-blower this week?
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Okay, so two, we’ve got two questions there. I’m happy for the Foreign Secretary to address at least one domestic question on this sort, but I’m not going to ask her to address others. So I’ll then give you a chance to take that one domestic one from the back up, and while you think of your answer, just to the lady right there, first, please. Yeah.
Elisabeth Faure
Thank you, Foreign Secretary, for your presentation. My name is Elisabeth Faure. I’m the Director of the United Nations World Food Programme in the UK. Last week, we saw the launch of the Global Humanitarian Overview, which made clear that extreme poverty is on the rise after two decades of decline. 270 million people are severely food insecure around the world. 45 million people are on the verge of starvation, so these numbers are the highest that I’ve seen in my 17-year career at the United Nations, and I – my question is, how do you feel about the situation? What emotions come up for you?
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
So, I’ll let you take that little cluster first, Foreign Secretary, and then I’m going to come to others. Yeah.
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
Well, thank you very much, James, for that question. Look, it’s in everybody’s interests that we follow the COVID rules and that we boost our vaccinations as soon as we practically can and there have been steps up in the booster campaign, and that’s obviously very important to deal with the new variant. As to alleged events in Number 10, I don’t the detail of what happened. I know that the Prime Minister’s Spokesman answered those questions in detail yesterday and I’m sure there’ll be further discussion of that issue, but my focus has been, as I’m sure you imagine, on foreign policy. I spent last week in Sweden, in Latvia, and Estonia working to challenge Russian aggression, with our allies. We have the G7 coming up in Liverpool this weekend and of course, I’m here today outlining our foreign policy approach at Chatham House, and on the subject of the FCDO, there was…
James Landale
Can you just address the trust issue, which is really crucial, unfortunately, as it matters for all voters and all citizens? Why should British citizens trust an Administration that does not follow the rules of COVID?
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
Well, we do. We do follow the rules on COVID. I’m saying, in that particular issue that you raised, James, I am not aware of the precise circumstances, and I know the Prime Minister’s Spokesman has addressed that issue. On the subject of the Foreign Office, which you also asked me about, there was extensive testimony yesterday from our Permanent Secretary and Senior Officials at the FCDO. While there was a heroic effort to get people out of Afghanistan, 15,000 people were brought out of Afghanistan in those two weeks. There clearly are lessons to be learnt. The Permanent Secretary is clear that he should have returned from holiday earlier, as was my predecessor, and what I’ve done, since I’ve become the Foreign Secretary, is make sure that we have processes in place to address any future issues.
Three things: first of all, making sure we have better risk monitoring, and I have a weekly meeting with Directors General to talk about the risks and potential worst-case scenarios. Secondly, that we have a good emergency response, including a COBRA response, should any situation, like the one we experienced arise again, and finally, that we are better able to surge employees across the FCDO into any such crisis issue. And I can assure you James, that I’m absolutely confident that we now have those processes in place, in the event, in the unfortunate event of a similar situation. It’s worth pointing out though, that the situation faced in Afghanistan was the, you know, the second largest evacuation that the UK has ever carried out, so I don’t underestimate the challenge that the Foreign Office faced at the time.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Question on the food issue and starvation, sorry, did you address that?
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
Oh sorry, yeah.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Yeah.
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
You’re absolutely right, there are some appalling humanitarian situations around the world. I’m very, very concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and in other nations and, you know, it’s such a huge shame, after we’ve made huge progress lifting people out of poverty, that we’re facing this appalling situation now. You know, what we’re doing, and I have really outlined in the speech, our long-term approach to development and how we are working on that, and I’ll be launching a new development strategy in the New Year.
But the first thing I have done, as part of the Spending Review, is restore funding on humanitarian aid. We’ve already put £50 million extra humanitarian funding into Afghanistan and we are making sure that the budget is re – was restored to what it was before the reductions in the humanitarian funding, because we are concerned about what is happening around the world.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Just – if I can just tack on one question here from Will Worley. Will, if you don’t mind me asking the question directly ‘cause otherwise we won’t get to it in time. “Does the Foreign Secretary support a return to 0.7% aid spending? If not, can the UK encourage allies to invest more in developing countries?” Where are you on the 0.7%?
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
I do and in fact, the Chancellor has said that we will restore it when fiscal circumstances allow, which is looking positive at the moment. What I have been doing, and you will have seen this through our launch of British international investment, is making sure we are putting more money through our bilateral programmes, restoring the funding for women and girls, and humanitarian aid. But of course, when we get back to point seven, we will be looking to further strengthen those priorities. But the – you know, the UK’s funding and overall wherewithal within BII is going up from 1.5 billion to almost eight billion, including the extra financing we’re leveraging by 2025. And what I want to do is encourage our allies to put similar increases into their infrastructure investment, helping countries transition to a green economy, helping them build their infrastructure in a honest – using honest and reliable investment that doesn’t come with strings attached. I think that’s very important.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Great, thanks. I’m going to take two questions here at the front. First, the gentleman and then lady at the front right here, in the front row, come all the way to front, by where – in line where the camera is. So, first the gentleman, yeah, and then, lady in front. Yeah.
Member
Secretary of State, you mentioned that the people trust us and that systems should come after the needs of people. Afghanistan faces us with unfinished business, not just the 15,000 that we brought over. What can you do to help speed up the resettlement of Afghans, particularly those stuck in third countries or even in Afghanistan itself, and I gather there’s a major bottleneck at the British High Commission in Islamabad, which was highlighted by Channel 4 News on Monday?
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Question at the front, yeah, if you take your mask off.
Trisha de Borchgrave
Thank you very much, Madam Secretary. Tricia de Borchgrave, Chatham House member and Freelance Writer. I don’t think there’s one among us here that doesn’t fully appreciate the complications and complexities of managing these relationships between countries today, and I know there’s an awful lot of, if you like, nuance that happens behind the closed doors of diplomacy. But I did want to bring up an issue that I think, for me, defines how Britain plans to move forward and behave as a global power of influence on the world stage, and that is the £400 million that is still owed to Iran, yes, after those 1,500 tanks never got delivered 40 plus years ago. But it’s really, whether we like this regime or not, it is a legitimate regime, government, this predates Iranian sanctions and I have to say, quite honestly, it’s no more a dubious transaction than those that have been conducted between the UK’s defence industries and other authoritarian regimes over the last 40 plus years. And I guess, I’m prefacing this by saying, whether that amount of money goes back and is used for nefarious reasons, it’s really about at this point, how Britain resolves an issue that is clearly in its remit to resolve.
It is now – this is the kind of issue that weaponizes the lives of innocent people and to some extent, the outcome of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s outcome and her predicament, I will honestly say I think that this Prime Minister holds some personal responsibility for, and he has promised to pay back this money. So my question to you, Madam Secretary is, why are we not paying this outstanding, legitimate debt and maybe naively, forgive me if that’s in question, could it at least be used, not as credence to other authoritarian regimes that look at us – look to our own inconsistencies, but as a gesture of goodwill to the Iranians now that we’re trying to, sort of, resurrect what seems to be a pretty defunct JCPOA? Thank you very much.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
So, maybe those two questions, one on the Afghanistan issue and then on the very specific issue of the £400 million owed to Iran.
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
So, on Afghanistan, since the initial evacuation of the 15,000 people, a further 3,000 have been evacuated and, in fact, we’re bringing people back every week. I visited the evacuee facilities in Qatar. The Qatar Government are doing a fantastic job in helping us. They’ve brought a lot of flights into the UK and the Home Office will be setting out the details of the scheme in due course, but we continue to bring people out of Afghanistan, as well as working with our partners to put pressure on the Taliban, particularly on forming an inclusive Government and making sure that women and girls’ rights are respected. So, this is – there has to be pressure from the international community as a whole. You know, I’ve been talking to our partners around the world about making that happen.
On the subject of the Iranian debt, we are working to resolve the issue. We do want to pay this debt. We recognise it’s a legitimate debt, but of course, there are lots of issues, which I’m sure you are quite well aware of and, you know, the discussions that I’m having, I have spoken to my counterpart, the Iranian Foreign Minister on several occasions, so has James Cleverley, with the Deputy, and our Officials are in discussions, seeking to resolve this issue, but it’s not simple, for various reasons. I’m also pressing for the return of our unfairly detained British Nationals, including Nazanin, and we are working night and day to make that happen. And just on the subject of the JCPOA negotiations, negotiations resume tomorrow in Vienna, you know, this is really the last chance for Iran to sign up, and I strongly urge them to do that, because we are determined to work with our allies to prevent Iran securing nuclear weapons. So they do need to sign up to the JCPOA Agreement. It’s in their interest to do so.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Thank you very much, and it is, yeah, as you said, getting to a very sensitive point with Iran, given their high rates of nuclear enrichment right now, so I think it’s an important point that you added that in. I’m going to take a couple of questions, if people could just be patient online ‘cause we’ve got an equal number, in fact, more online and I must be fair to some of our members who joined that way as well.
I’d like to go to Allesandr0 Orselli first, if we could unmute Allesandro, and then I’m going to go to Domenic Carratu. Orselli, are you there, Allesandro? Listening for the voice to emerge from the distance.
Allesandro Orselli
Yes, I’m here, yes.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
We can hear you. Please, go ahead and ask your question.
Allesandro Orselli
Yes, it’s about…
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Oh, well, that was good.
Allesandro Orselli
…the Ukraine. I wonder whether there could be a declaration of a neutrality by the Ukrainian Parliament underwritten by the main interested countries, including, of course, the United States, Russia, and the states of the European Union, in a similar way to the Austrian Declaration of Neutrality after the Second World War?
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
So, might a Declaration of Neutrality by Ukraine, but underwritten by other powers, be a way of, kind of, getting around this problem? Do you want to take that one first? A very specific one, the next one is another big question.
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
The problem here is Russian aggression. The problem is that Russia have built up troops and forces on the Ukrainian border, and I’m very clear that it would be a strategic mistake for Russia to stage an incursion into Ukraine. The issue is not for Ukraine, the issue is for Russia to respect the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Okay. Domenic Carratu. Domenic.
Domenic Carratu
Yeah, good morning. Thank you, Secretary of State. My question actually follows on from that, not least in the light of the discussion between President Biden and Putin yesterday and ongoing discussions, you know, around attendance by democracies in the Beijing Olympics next year. What do you think the chances are of a great power conflict in the coming decade, potentially even in two theatres simultaneously, for example, over at Ukraine and Taiwan, and does the West currently have the resources or political will to step up to such an overt challenge, or do we need some sort of appeasement whilst we get our act together?
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Hmmm.
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
I don’t have a crystal ball and, you know, the future is there to be made, you know, it’s not some – it’s not independent of all of the countries involved, and this is my – the entire point of my speech, is that the free world needs to step up. You know, we need to step up, in terms of security, in terms of contributions to NATO. We need to step up, in terms of economic engagement with the rest of the world because we are seeing strategic dependency on energy, on technology, on investment, which is, you know, putting some countries out of reach or out of the circle of freedom loving democracies. So, it’s entirely within our power as the free word to step up to engage economically, to make sure that we have the security and defence capabilities to prevent the type of situation that you’re describing. We absolutely want to prevent that, but the best way to prevent that is from a position of strength.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Yeah, I would just note, on a Chatham House standpoint, we’re undertaking a project right now actually, looking at co-operation between France and the UK around the issue of contingency risks to Taiwan. So obviously, thinking about these things in advance. As you said, you can define your own future rather than having to expect things to go the other way.
Let me say, I know there was a question, at least here on the Press, and I’ve got to take the gentleman here first and then I’m going to go right over to that side, to the lady with the mask there. Yeah, sorry, there are a lot of hands. I won’t get to you all, I’m going to do my best. Yeah. Could you introduce yourself, please?
William James
Hi, William James from Reuters. Would you support the deployment of more troops to the Ukraine and Russia, either through NATO or through Britain directly?
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Okay, yeah, why don’t you take that one.
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
The UK is already providing security and defence support to Ukraine. My colleague, Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, was out in Ukraine very recently. I’m meeting the Ukrainian Foreign Minister today to talk about closer strategic co-operation and, of course, we’re also discussing, with our NATO allies, other measures, such as economic measures and diplomatic measures that can be taken, but we are very clear that we are standing with Ukraine in the face of this aggression.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Thanks. Please, lady – yeah, first, lady. No, sorry, it’s the lady in front. Yeah, exactly. Nomi, yeah.
Nomi Bar-Yaacov
Nomi Bar-Yaacov, I’m an Associate Fellow in the International Security Programme here at Chatham House. I would just like to push you a little bit further on the Aid budget. You had stated that you – that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has committed to bringing it back up when circumstances so permit. Meanwhile, we are engaging – the world is engaged with very, very, very serious humanitarian and other crises, so if you could just elaborate upon how you plan to deal with that.
On Nicholas McLean’s question on the current population of Afghanistan that helped the Brits and worked with the Brits, they are very large numbers, a lot of people fear for their lives. I’d like to know a little bit more about what you’re doing, in terms of trying to get those out, and the last but not least, Myanmar. What – a lot of good – a lot of phrases about freedom and liberties, but we’re seeing the exact opposite trend there, there was a coup d’état. Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced. She got 12 more counts against her. We’re presuming they’re all trumped up. What is the UK Government doing about it? Thank you.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
You’re going to go back on a couple of points I think we’ve raised already. If I can just piggyback on the Afghanistan question, where does the British Government – where do you stand right now on recognition of the Taliban Government? What do you require? What’s the kind of, strategy ‘cause in a way, that might get us to place where we can address some of these other humanitarian questions? If I can just bring that angle in on the Afghanistan question.
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
Sure. So, on the subject of the development budget, what we’ve done so far in setting the priorities for next year, within the point five envelope, which is what’s in next year’s budget, is restoring the budget for women and girls and humanitarian aid, to back to what it was. So, we’re reversing the cuts in those two areas and we’re moving funding from multilateral programmes into bilateral programmes to be able to do that. ‘Cause that is an absolute priority for us, making sure the women and girls’ funding’s restored, and humanitarian funding and, under the current trajectory, we will be able to restore the .7% in 2024/2055. But what I’m really focused on is making the money we do have, we’re using in the best possible way and we’re currently going through the process internally of allocating the budgets for next year. We’re working to set out our broader development strategy, and the point I was making in my speech is, we now have the ability to look at trade, development, diplomacy and security altogether. So, one of the, you know, key ways to help countries develop is to remove trade barriers, and our new Developing Countries Trading Scheme is going to be much more generous, in terms of helping those countries build their way up through economic development ,as well. So we’re looking at those things hand-in-hand.
On the subject of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence is running the programme to help. The ARAP programme, to help people who worked with us in Afghanistan. The Home Office is shortly due to set out their programme, which is specifically looking at those particularly vulnerable refugees from Afghanistan. But we are not stopping our work in bringing people back and, you know, I saw it myself, and what we’re doing with Qatar, you know, people are arriving back from Afghanistan every week and, you know, we are making sure that any requests are responded to, through our process, which is joint with the Home Office and the MoD.
You asked me a – oh…
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Regulations.
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
…about how we – so, my view is, that we need to work with other countries, the international community, including the organisation of Islamic States. So, I’ve been talking to countries such as Indonesia, for example, about how we use our broad reach to hold the Taliban to account. Because everyone agrees that, you know, they do need to have an inclusive government, you know, we need to prevent humanitarian catastrophe, we need to stop Afghanistan becoming a hotbed of terrorism. And my view is, we need to be aligned with the international community in doing that, so we have regular conference calls, regular videoconferences to work on achieving that and, of course, the UK, you know, we’ve had our representative in Afghanistan having those discussions as well.
On Myanmar, you know, the situation there is appalling. We are working very closely with ASEAN and in fact, ASEAN will be in attendance at this weekend’s G7 meeting and the entire G7 strongly supports ASEANS’s five-point plan for addressing the Myanmar regime, and I hope we will make further progress and Myanmar is on the agenda for this weekend’s discussion.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
I’m going to fail miserably I’m afraid, folks, with getting as many questions in as I’d like to get in, but I’m going to do my best to get a few in. There’s a lady right at the back that I said I would take right at the beginning. She had her hand up very early and Quentin, I’m going to get to Quentin Peel who’s had his hand up very early as well. So, please could the two of you keep your hand up and I’m going to come and do one more question with the Press as well.
Joan Hoey
Thank you very much, Robin. Joan Hoey, Europe Director at The Economist Intelligence Unit and Editor of the Democracy Index.
I appreciated your very strong wake-up call to engage in a battle of ideas and your point that the defence of democracy and history and freedom is the key battle of our age, and I took it to mean that you’re saying that we need to have a strong domestic consensus as a country on these issues, in order to go out there and lead by example. My question really is about a neglected region. The UK has just appointed a Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Stuart Peach. I just want to ask you, Foreign Secretary, what you hope to achieve through this appointment?
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Do you mind if I collect a few because I can see we’ve literally got about five, six minutes left and then you can manage your time and I’m sorry, I’m going to throw a few things, and I’ll keep a list as well, if you don’t mind? Quentin, there.
Quentin Peel
Quentin Peel, Associate Fellow with the Europe Programme at Chatham House. In the light of the talks between President Biden and President Putin, are you satisfied, Foreign Secretary, that we have enough economic sanctions, essentially, to deter Russia from further military intervention in Ukraine and is the British Government doing enough, in terms of restricting the access of Russian finance to the City of London to launder its cash?
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
And I think the timing of that question, I feel, is an important one, ‘cause obviously with the Democracy Summit starting tomorrow, which has made international corruption one of its top priority areas for defending democracy, as you will appreciate. I’m going to draw a couple more in. The gentleman waiting right at the back there. Yeah, keep your hand up. That’s you, yes, and then I’m going to come – sorry, I haven’t – sorry, I’m going to need to go – no, just, yeah, the pink shirt. Yeah, keep your hand up, it’s you, yeah.
Anmol Arora
Hiya, and my name’s Anmol Arora from Cambridge, and my background’s in AI development. So I was pretty interested in the stuff you were talking about, in terms of technology partnerships and I was just wondering what you expect that that’ll look like at a ground level for us working on it, if it’s successful because, you know, a lot of us in companies and in research institutions are a bit worried about sharing data internationally and developing those partnerships currently because of, you know, legal and public reaction.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Right, sorry, yeah, please. Go ahead. Yeah, your microphone’s above you. You can go ahead.
Jason Groves
Ah, gotcha. Thanks, Jason Groves from The Daily Mail. Foreign Secretary, you talked about our history, warts and all. Some people aren’t proud of the British Empire. Are you proud of it? You also talked about the value you place on objective truth. Is it important for Britain’s reputation that Downing Street is seen to be telling the truth because objectively, it does seem to be in doubt over this party issue?
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
While you reflect on that last question, it’s interesting that I thought one of the people I called on was going to ask a question, which I’ve seen come up a lot on the online questions. But I’ll take the one that David Manning asked, Tim Sherwin did as well, but David Manning put it his way, former Ambassador. When can we expect global Britain to have a defined and articulated post-Brexit European strategy? We turned down the offer a new EU-UK framework on foreign policy and defence co-operation. I’m trying to be quicker, there’s nothing substantial about the EU and the Integrated Review and today, you have said little about the EU, when talking about the need to strengthen UK security relations and to build a network of liberty. So where does the EU fit into the network of liberty, I suppose would part of the question? So, a lot on the menu, I’m sorry – I’m cheating with your staff here by giving you, like, five questions, with three minutes, but you can use the discipline on those. Yeah, sorry.
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
Good. Okay, so, yeah, I’m extremely concerned about what is happening in the Western Balkans. That’s why I’ve appointed Stuart Peach as our Envoy. I had a meeting with High Representative Schmidt last week and I’m due to have further discussions. The – we’re very concerned about what Dodik is doing in Bosnia. We are also concerned about Russian interference, and I don’t think you can just look at the Ukraine question alone, you know, we’re seeing the weaponization and migration through Belarus, threatening Poland. We’re seeing negative activity in The Balkans, and we’re also seeing, you know, the build-up of forces on the Ukrainian border, and this is why we need to be very strong with NATO, with our European allies, and with others to challenge this aggression.
On the subject of sanctions, President Biden has been very clear, we discussed this at the Foreign Minister’s meeting at Riga last week, you know, there will be high economic and diplomatic costs. And that is why it would be a strategic mistake for Russia to stage an incursion into Ukraine, you know, we have very tough anti-money-laundering rules here and anti-corruption rules.
On the subject of AI, I would be interested to talk to you more and hear more of what you’ve got to say because I think – you know, we need to be leading in setting standards in areas like AI that protect freedom, democracy, individual liberty, property rights, the things that we believe in, and I want to put more of our view into these international discussions. So I would be interested to follow-up with you and hear what you’ve got to say about that subject.
Jason Groves, you asked about The British Empire. I mean, it’s a fact of our history, and this is what I meant about, you know, what’s law, of course there is, you know, egregious things have happened in Britain in the past. I’m not saying it hasn’t, but I don’t think there’s a country in the world you could point to that has had a perfect history of modern liberalism, you know, but where we are now, is we are a great country, you know, we are a free country. Everybody in Britain has the opportunity to succeed and we’ve got to be proud of that. So let’s stop spending so – let’s stop fighting about the past, let’s start fighting for the future, because that’s what our adversaries are thinking about. They’re not thinking about what happened, you know, in the past in their countries. They’re busy out there, you know, with malign, you know, malign information on the internet or, you know, threatening aggression or using economic coercion to affect their goals, and we have to move away from the introversion and introspection and that moves me onto the EU.
And I did mention the EU in my speech because I talked about the Global Gateway, which the EU is launching, as a positive force. You know, we want our friends to be investing in developing countries in the same way we are, ‘cause I’d rather that they – you know, that the EU were investing than other alternatives and, you know, a lot of the issues we’ve been talking about today, you know, Ukraine, The Baltics, the Western Balkans are very close or in Europe. And what I want to do with the EU and in fact, you know, EU nations are represented at this weekend’s meeting, the Italians, the French, and the Germans, but I want to work with the EU and those EU nations to promote freedom and democracy around the world because, although we don’t agree on absolutely everything, we certainly agree on those core principles. So, I see the EU as a critical ally for the UK.
Dr Robin Niblett CMG
Well, I think that’s a positive last statement, which I’m going to pocket and not try to editorialise in any way, shape or form. We’ve gone a bit over time and we had a very hard stop at the top of the hour. So, I must really apologise to all of our of our members who came whose questions I was not able to take today. So many of you had your hands up. Please bear with us and I’m sure you’ll have a chance. I’m sure a lot of the questions were probably covered in the answers the Foreign Secretary gave.
If you could please stay in your seats while she leaves. Just to remind members that there is a reception for those of you who would like to attend it. People will not be wearing masks at the reception, so just be aware of that, but if you’d like to attend, there will be a reception for members after this, as we haven’t seen so many of you for a long time, upstairs. But in the meantime, could you join me, please, in thanking the Foreign Secretary for a very powerful speech [applause]. We very much enjoyed it.
