Arriving at the meeting in Luxembourg, Lammy hailed the meeting as a “historic moment that marks our EU reset”….reports Asian Lite News
David Lammy has become the first foreign secretary since Brexit to attend a regular meeting of EU foreign ministers, as part of Labour’s “reset” with Europe.
Lammy travelled to the meeting as a special guest of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, to discuss the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and Labour’s agenda.
Since Brexit, British ministers meet EU counterparts only rarely – Liz Truss, the then foreign secretary, attended an emergency meeting in March 2022 in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Arriving at the meeting in Luxembourg, Lammy hailed the meeting as a “historic moment that marks our EU reset”.
“At this time, whether it is the aggression of Russia in Ukraine, the tremendous issues and conflicts in the Middle East, or global affairs and geopolitical affairs more generally, it is hugely important the UK and Europe remain steadfast,” he said.
The Foreign Office said UK attendance at the meeting would be part of more regular engagement, with plans for closer working on international affairs.
Lammy previously said the meeting would be the start of a new “habit” of UK-EU cooperation. The test will be whether all this moves beyond diplomatic courtesy to meaningful substance. Borrell said the meeting would address “how we can grow together in security issues”.
“We are convinced that in these dark moments with so many challenges around the world, a strong continent, because we are part of the same continent, require a strong partnership,” he said.
The trip follows last week’s meeting between the prime minister and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for talks in Brussels. Keir Starmer promised to offer “pragmatic, sensible leadership” as he pushed for a reset in the UK-EU relationship after the turbulence of the Conservative years.
Von der Leyen said the various post-Brexit arrangements like the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA), signed in December 2020, needed to be fully implemented to move forward.
Govt orders sanctions against top Iranian military figures
Britain on Monday ordered sanctions against top Iranian military figures after the Islamic republic’s October 1 ballistic missile attack on Israel.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Iran had ignored repeated warnings that its “dangerous actions” — and those of its proxies — were fuelling conflict in the Middle East.
Among the individuals subject to a travel ban and assets freeze are the commander-in-chief of the Iranian army, Abdolrahim Mousavi, and the head of the air force Hamid Vahedi.
Iran said it launched the missile attack in response to Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon, and the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran bombing widely blamed on Israel.
It was Iran’s second direct attack on Israel after a missile and drone attack in April in response to an air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that it blamed on Israel.
Lammy, in Luxembourg at a meeting with EU foreign ministers, said in a statement that the sanctions were a way to hold Iran to account and expose those behind the attacks.
“Alongside allies and partners, we will continue to take necessary measures to challenge Iran’s unacceptable threats and press for de-escalation across the region,” he added.
The British list also features the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence chief Mohammad Kazemi. Two companies, including Iran’s space agency, whose technology can be used in cruise and ballistic missile were hit with an assets freeze.
Last week, the US government imposed restrictions on dozens of companies in Iran’s oil and petrochemicals sectors, to cut off funding of what it said was the country’s “destabilising activity”.
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