News story

Ministers take action to enhance relationships and trade links with the Gulf

Ministers from across Government will meet with some of their counterparts from the Gulf states, to further work on elevating relationships between their countries.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Alistair Burt MP, Minister for the Middle East, will host the meeting. In addition, International Development Minister Alan Duncan will deliver a speech at Chatham House to an audience of business leaders, academics and representatives from foreign governments, as part of the GCC “Days in Europe Expo”, while Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt will deliver a speech at the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum taking place at London’s ExCel Convention Centre.

Mr Duncan is expected to use his speech to underline the Government’s commitment to a closer relationship with the countries in the Gulf. The Minister will make clear that ‘the Gulf matters to Britain’. He will set out the Government’s vision for an elevated and more effective relationship across the board with the countries in the region. He will also highlight the UK’s desire to intensify cultural, educational, commercial, defence, development and diplomatic links.

Mr Burt is expected to call for the economic relationship with the UAE to be taken to the next level - making it stronger, deeper and wider.

Published 20 October 2010