Contributions
909 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Governor of Xinjiang: UK VisitI note the hon. Gentleman’s question and he makes a good point in drawing a comparison with Hong Kong. I will not comment from the Dispatch Box about future sanctions, but we note…09 Feb 2023HANSARD Governor of Xinjiang: UK VisitThank you, Mr Speaker. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Alicia Kearns) for her long-standing interest. She rightly mentions the suffering of…09 Feb 2023HANSARD Governor of Xinjiang: UK VisitBecause he is not sanctioned, we therefore judge that this is a useful opportunity to deliver an extremely strong message to this individual. Of course, colleagues will note that…09 Feb 2023HANSARD Governor of Xinjiang: UK VisitThe judgment of Ministers is that such opportunities are useful in offering a chance to express a very forthright condemnation of the outrages in Xinjiang. I think this reflects…09 Feb 2023HANSARD Governor of Xinjiang: UK VisitThe hon. Gentleman is questioning the utility of this kind of diplomacy, and it is a reasonable question, but our judgment, institutionally, is that opportunities to send strong…09 Feb 2023HANSARD Governor of Xinjiang: UK VisitI think this is an opportunity to send a robust message from our side about everything we judge completely outrageous and unacceptable in Xinjiang. We therefore judge that there…09 Feb 2023HANSARD Governor of Xinjiang: UK VisitWe have stood up to China when it comes to Xinjiang. We have sanctioned individuals, and we continue to make the strongest possible representations. That is in line with our…09 Feb 2023HANSARD Governor of Xinjiang: UK VisitThis is not organised by the FCDO, and our expectation, with the oversight that Ministers have, is that directors might meet this individual. The details of that are yet to be…09 Feb 2023HANSARD Governor of Xinjiang: UK VisitMy hon. Friend is right to say that we have shown leadership on Ukraine, and we seek to show the same leadership on matters relating to our relationship with China and the…09 Feb 2023HANSARD Governor of Xinjiang: UK VisitI think colleagues will know that, when it comes to the metrics for such things, the judgment has been made that it is worthwhile maintaining the opportunity to engage with some…09 Feb 2023HANSARD Governor of Xinjiang: UK VisitI am grateful to my hon. Friend for his questions and, indeed, for his long-standing interest. I am sure the Foreign Secretary will be taking note of these proceedings in the…09 Feb 2023HANSARDKosovo: Security SituationWe will continue to inject political and diplomatic energy. I recently visited Kosovo, and others will do so in the near future. We will continue to support the EU-led dialogue…08 Feb 2023HANSARDKosovo: Security SituationI am grateful to the hon. Member for Leeds North West (Alex Sobel) for securing this important debate, and I pay tribute to him for his work and his interest in the subject as the…08 Feb 2023HANSARDPakistan: FloodingI can assure my hon. Friend that that is the case. Our thoughts are of course with the families and friends of those tragically killed and injured in yesterday’s abhorrent attack.…31 Jan 2023HANSARDWestern BalkansWe continue to work for peace and stability in the western Balkans. The Foreign Secretary and I are in regular contact with our counterparts in the region to encourage steps that…31 Jan 2023HANSARDNagorno-KarabakhWe seek a return to negotiation and a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. I spoke to Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan on 18 January regarding the…31 Jan 2023HANSARDNagorno-KarabakhWhat we are pressing for is a return to negotiations and a peaceful settlement to this conflict; I will travel to the region in the coming months and I will make that point.31 Jan 2023HANSARDWestern BalkansWe share my hon. Friend’s concern. There can be no question of a Serbian enclave in north Kosovo. We continue to work closely with partners to support the normalisation of…31 Jan 2023HANSARDNagorno-KarabakhIndeed I do. I am aware of that debate and I applaud my hon. Friend’s work on the Council of Europe. We hope that both sides will return to the negotiating table and we will use…31 Jan 2023HANSARDPakistan: FloodingUK aid continues to save lives in Pakistan. The UK has pledged a total of £36 million of aid for flood relief efforts in Pakistan. More than £25 million of that has been…31 Jan 2023