Corporate report

International defence engagement strategy

The strategy sets out how all defence activity will be prioritised to focus our engagement efforts on those countries which are most important to our national interests, and where we are most likely to achieve the desired effect.

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

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Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and Foreign Secretary William Hague today, 07 February 2013, announced the publication of the government’s International defence engagement strategy.

It sets out how all defence activity short of combat operations, will be prioritised to focus our engagement efforts on those countries which are most important to our national interests, and where we are most likely to achieve the desired effect.

It takes forward commitments made in the 2010 National security strategy and the 2010 Strategic defence and security review, that set out a vision for an integrated approach to meeting our international objectives and greater use of our influence in upstream conflict prevention.

It will ensure that we are shaping our defence engagement over a longer horizon of up to 20 years, and developing the relationships and influence that we will require to achieve our objectives in a period of significant uncertainty and change. We will have to work harder, and in different ways, to advance and protect British interests.

The strategy covers four component areas of activity:

  • security and ‘non combat’ operations
  • defence diplomacy
  • defence and security exports
  • regional stability, conflict prevention, post conflict reconstruction and stabilisation
Published 6 February 2013