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News Archive
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'MAKING SURE THE EVENTS OF 11 SEPTEMBER CAN NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN'
In a speech in the House of Commons on 12 December 2001, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, said ‘the military coalition is well on the way to achieving the objectives of the campaign in Afghanistan’. He remarked on the ‘astonishing success’ of the Bonn agreement, which ‘puts Afghanistan back on the path to peace’. Britain’s continuing role he said is ‘support for the political process’ and standing ‘ready to provide troops … in appropriate circumstances’. The Foreign Secretary said, however, that success in Afghanistan alone would not ‘remove the scourge of terrorism as a force’; ‘the Middle East Peace Process is the only way in which Palestinian grievances can be addressed and Israel’s security guaranteed’. He concluded ‘it will take a long time to remove the threat’ of terrorism, but ‘we have shown that we have not forgotten 11 September’.
'THE EUROPEAN RESPONSE TO TERRORISM’ – PETER HAIN
In a speech to the Europe-Atlantic Group on 12 December, Minister for Europe, Peter Hain, spoke of the ‘new prominence … given to the role of international bodies’ after 11 September, ‘not least the European Union’. He called the EU ‘a force to be reckoned with on the global diplomatic stage’, described its aim to ‘offer a greater military contribution to global security’ and ‘a stronger European defence policy’. The Minister for Europe spoke of the crucial ‘transatlantic bridge between Europe and the US’ and outlined ‘the importance of Britain’s constructive engagement with Europe’. He concluded: ‘the war on terror has … displayed the immense added value both of EU co-operation between the Member States and of close co-operation between the EU and the US’.
STATEMENT BY THE FOREIGN SECRETARY ON THE VERDICT ON THE 12 BRITISH NATIONALS DETAINED IN GREECE
Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, gave a doorstep interview following the verdict on the 12 British nationals detained in Greece. 'Like everyone else, I was greatly relieved to hear this news, but we will now have to work hard to ensure that this judicial decision does mean the speedy release from custody of all those being held,' he said.
CHANGE OF HIGH COMMISSIONER TO MASERU
Frank Martin has been appointed High Commissioner to the Kingdom of Lesotho in succession to Kaye Oliver who will be retiring from the Diplomatic Service. Mr Martin will take up his new appointment in April 2002.
MINISTERIAL ENGAGEMENTS
In addition to their regular official and parliamentary duties, FCO Ministers have the following public engagements...
FCO Daily Bulletin...
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