Foreign Secretary welcomes opportunities to elevate UK’s relations with Gulf States
Foreign Secretary William Hague looks forward to Gulf Co-operation Council “Days in Europe Expo” that will build greater understanding, co-operation and trade between the UK and the Gulf States.
As soon as he took office, Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK would work to elevate its relations with the Gulf. Today he looked forward to two weeks of activity that will build greater understanding, co-operation and trade between the UK and the Gulf States, and called for all involved to take advantage of the opportunities offered.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said:
“The British Government is committed to elevating the UK’s relationships with the countries of the Gulf. We have made this an early priority of our foreign policy and Ministers are devoting time and energy to it, including through our new National Security Council.
The Gulf is a region of great opportunity and promise. The UK and the Gulf states have historic ties on which we are determined to build. And we already work closely on regional issues including the Middle East Peace Process, combating nuclear proliferation, and supporting stability in Yemen.
So I hope the events and activities over the next two weeks will provide opportunities for this cooperation to deepen, and for our countries to discover further areas in which to work together.”
The Gulf Cooperation Council “Days in Europe Expo” will hold events at Chatham House, SOAS and Lancaster House, addressing the relationships between the UK and the Gulf, the role of women in the development of the Gulf, and trade between the UK and the Gulf. UK Ministers will give keynote speeches at each of these events, as well as at a number of key trade and economic forums over the coming weeks. These aim to enhance the UK’s trade ties with the Gulf and seek areas for greater investment between the UK and GCC States. Foreign Secretary William Hague looks forward to two weeks of activity that will build greater understanding, co-operation and trade between the UK and the Gulf States.
The events take place in the context of wider efforts to boost ties with the Gulf States, which have been ongoing since the Coalition Government took power.
Seeking opportunities for British business in the Gulf is a key part of this effort, at the same time as working more closely on regional and global issues and establishing meaningful dialogues on issues such as human rights.