Oral Answers to Questions Debate
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Andrew Murrison
Main Page: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)Department Debates - View all Andrew Murrison's debates with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
(1 day, 20 hours ago)
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Mr Lammy
I have found it hugely beneficial to be able to speak to His Highness Prince Faisal so closely over the last few days, at the outbreak of this crisis and then again in the last 48 hours. We stay in close touch, and Saudi Arabia is a key ally. Of course, we were worried about how the situation would affect regional allies like Saudi Arabia. There is so much that we can do together, not just on security, but on trade. Our trade has grown by 70%, and we remain committed to growing our total trade to £30 billion by 2030.
Dr Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire) (Con)
The creation of the Abraham accords was one of the achievements of the first Trump Administration, and the President of the US has said that he aims for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to join those accords. What are the UK Government doing to encourage that process, and what preconditions does he believe Riyadh has for joining the accords?
Mr Lammy
The right hon. Gentleman raises a good question. We should remember when thinking about 7 October that one of the objectives of Hamas was to tear apart the prospects of normalisation in the region. Notwithstanding the horrors and pain of the crisis in the region over these last months, the Abraham accords and Israel’s changed relationship with so many Gulf partners in particular, but also other Muslim countries, are important to keep hold of. We continue to discuss these issues, but there are no prospects until we get to a ceasefire.