Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw announced on 27 October that the UK has now deposited the UK Instruments of Acceptance of the Protocols on the Accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to the North Atlantic Treaty. 'I congratulate each of the NATO Invitees on their hard work through the Accession process,' Mr Straw said.

The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, said on 26 October: 'I have just spoken to the UK's Special Representative to Iraq, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, about the rocket attack on the al Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad. I asked Sir Jeremy to convey to [the British member of staff who was injured] my great sympathy and concern for his injuries, and hope that he makes a speedy recovery. I also asked Sir Jeremy to convey my condolences to the US commander for the loss of the US colonel killed and sympathy for those injured.'

In a speech at the Chester / Ellesmere / North Wales Chamber of Commerce annual dinner on 23 October, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said he hoped to encourage 'those who support Britain's active participation in the European Union to respond to the anti-European assault by making the positive case for Europe.' Mr Straw talked of a 'crisis of complacency' among those who support Britain's EU membership: 'Those who believe in the EU need to work harder and speak louder to explain the benefits of membership by setting out in simple terms the reality behind the myths.' The Foreign Secretary went on: 'The reality is that by working together as freely-co-operating nations, 25 members states will create more jobs, do more business, and make ourselves more secure than any of us could alone. A bigger Europe, including the proud nation states of Central and Eastern Europe, is our kind of Europe.'

In a written ministerial statement, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, reported on his visit to Tehran with his French and German counterparts on 21 October. By the end of the visit, Mr Straw said, 'we were able to agree a joint statement which committed Iran to comply with the three key elements fo the IAEA Board Resolution... This joint statement represents a good start to the process of resolving international concerns over Iran's nuclear programme and we welcomed it as such. But we also made clear to our Iranian interlocutors that the real test will be full and early implementation of the commitments they have offered.'

Ministers from more than a dozen countries joined forces to launch the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) in London on 23 October. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: 'The aim of the REEEP is ambitious - to develop a global network to promote the spread of renewable energy and more efficient use of energy.' Opening the conference, FCO Minister Bill Rammell added: 'Today we heard from a range of governments, regulators, financial institutions and energy businesses. What they told us was clear: the solutions are out there. But they need to be shared more widely.'

Interviewed on BBC Radio 4 on 23 October, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, reported on his recent trip, with his French and German counterparts, to Iran, during which the Iranian government agreed to sign the International Atomic Energy Agency additional protocol, thereby accepting 'much more intrusive inspections than they have had before'. The trip illustrates 'the best of European cooperation', Mr Straw said. 'We pooled our sovereignty for this purpose.' On the draft constitutional treaty, the Foreign Secretary again stressed that whilst it is an important document, 'it does not represent a change in the fundamental relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union.'

The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, met the Prime Minister of Mongolia, Mr Nambaryn Enkhbayar, on on his official visit to the UK on 22 October. Speaking after their meeting, Mr Straw said: 'I am delighted to have met the Prime Minister of Mongolia today. Since their establishment forty years ago, Anglo-Mongolian relations have gone from strength to strength. We warmly welcome the serious commitment that Mongolia has made towards our shared international priorities, such as the reconstruction of Iraq and the fight against terrorism.'

The Foreign Secretary said: 'I warmly welcome the statement made earlier today by the Indian Foreign Minister, announcing a number of measures India is ready to take to further improve relations with Pakistan.'

Opening an Opposition debate on Iraq on 22 October, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, said that it was time for the House of Commons to move on from the continued scrutiny of the events leading up to military action and its aftermath. 'Isn't it time that we devoted our time to the vital issue - building a secure, prosperous Iraq from the ashes of Saddam's dictatorship? This is the question that has preoccupied the United Nations in recent weeks. It's also at the forefront of the minds of all Iraqi people, irrespective of religious denomination or political leanings.'

On 20 October, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, reported to the House of Commons on discussions at the European Council on 16/17 October. Mr Straw said: 'EU Heads of State and Government had their first substantive discussion of the draft constitutional treaty, focussing on the size of the Commission, the role of the Chair of the European Council, changes in the rotating Presidency and the weighting of votes after enlargement... The Council discussed the European economy and agreed a number of measures to encourage growth'. The Council also discussed defence at a Heads of State Government dinner: 'It makes sense for EU nations to strengthen Europe's contribution to the Alliance and to enable Europe to act in circumstances where NATO does not want to.' The Council also discussed Iraq: 'The European Council welcomed the unanimous adoption of UN Security Council resolution 1511 on Iraq on 16 October.'