Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what representations he has made to his Rwandan counterpart on the escalation in fighting between the army of the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 Tutsi-led rebels in eastern Congo.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
On 28 March, the Foreign Secretary spoke with Rwandan President Kagame to encourage de-escalation, and Lord Benyon raised the importance of regional diplomatic processes with DRC President Tshisekedi on 14 March. We welcome the recent mediation efforts facilitated by the Angola-led Luanda peace process and continue to urge all parties to commit to further political dialogue. On 9 April, the Prime Minister met with President Kagame and underlined the importance of a political process to resolve the situation. I also raised this issue with President Kagame during my visit to Rwanda on 6 April.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs plans to visit Mongolia.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK highly values its relationship with Mongolia. Last year we celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations as the first Western nation to establish relations with Mongolia. We are set to agree a Joint Cooperation Roadmap with Mongolia this year, which will encompass the key aspects of the bilateral relationship. Ministerial travel is announced in the usual way.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what diplomatic support he is providing to Burundi after the closure of that country's border with Rwanda in January 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK regrets the impact that the closure of the border between Burundi and Rwanda is having on local communities and hopes to see it reopened. Most recently, the British Ambassador raised these concerns with the Burundian Foreign Minister on 19 March. We encourage the Government of Burundi to engage with Rwanda on this issue and support further dialogue to enable a swift political solution.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding for projects to support agricultural businesses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
DRC's fertile land has enormous agricultural potential, but production is hampered by a number of factors. Improving food security, including through the rehabilitation of agriculture, has a central role in building peace, while contributing to food rural development. The UK contributes to food security, protection and resilience through our £98 million 3-year humanitarian programme for the East of DRC which delivers life-saving emergency assistance to over 1.1 million people.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding for sustainable agricultural equipment for people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
DRC's fertile land has enormous agricultural potential, but production is hampered by a number of factors. Improving food security, including through the rehabilitation of agriculture, has a central role in building peace, while contributing to food rural development. The UK contributes to food security, protection and resilience through our £98 million 3-year humanitarian programme for the East of DRC which delivers life-saving emergency assistance to over 1.1 million people.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are working with allies and partners to safeguard maritime security and navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea.
In December, the Foreign Secretary visited Egypt with Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon. They discussed the Red Sea crisis with President Sisi. The Defence Secretary also spoke with his counterpart, General Zaki, in January.
Prior to strikes on Houthi targets, we engaged extensively with regional partners to deter Houthi threats, and to ensure freedom of navigation and safe passage in the Red Sea. We continue to work with our allies and partners to safeguard maritime security and navigation rights and freedoms in the Red Sea. It is in all our interests to work together to de-escalate tensions in the region. We continue to pursue all diplomatic routes.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea on shipping through the Suez Canal.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Overall, the volume of ships passing through the Suez Canal has significantly decreased because of the reckless actions of the Houthis in the Red Sea. PORTWATCH report that the number of commercial ships passing through the Suez Canal has fallen by 45 per cent year-on-year this month (February 2024).
Larger commercial vessels have been more likely to divert around the Cape of Good Hope than smaller vessels and so the volume has fallen further. Diverting around the Cape of Good Hope adds at least 10 days to a journey from Asia to Europe, and over 15 per cent to shipping costs.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of recognising Western Sahara as part of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General and will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process and monitor progress.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius on diplomatic relations with the US.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The military base on Diego Garcia is an important national asset that we use with the Americans. The UK's priority is the security, safety and usability of the base. We are working in lockstep with the US on all elements of British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and will continue to do so.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of reports of North Korea providing military support to Russia.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has supplied weapons, including ballistic missiles, to Russia, as fifty Foreign Ministers made clear in their 9 January joint statement. At a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on 10 January, the UK joined partners in condemning the use of DPRK-supplied ballistic missiles by Russia against Ukraine. The DPRK is already subject to a robust sanctions regime and the UK will continue to work with our partners to hold the DPRK to account for supporting Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. We will continue to work with allies and partners to identify, expose, and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment from third countries.