Tag: Dominic Raab

UK’s Rishi Sunak Launches Bid To Be UK PM as Rival Backs Him

The former finance minister has the widest support among colleagues who have publicly expressed their view, including the backing of deputy prime minister Dominic Raab.

London: Ex-UK finance minister Rishi Sunak, the favourite to become Britain’s next prime minister, kicked off his campaign on Tuesday promising “honesty”, in an increasingly testy and divisive battle to succeed Boris Johnson.

An initial 11 candidates put their names forward to become the leader of the governing Conservative Party and Britain’s next premier after Johnson was forced to say he would step down when support drained from him over a series of scandals.

Only those who get nominations from 20 of their 358 Conservative colleagues in parliament on Tuesday will go forward to the first vote on Wednesday. The field will then be quickly whittled down to a final two, with Conservative Party members making the final decision.

Transport minister Grant Shapps became the first to end his bid, throwing his support behind Sunak, whose resignation helped provoke the revolt by ministers and Conservative lawmakers that forced Johnson to say he would resign last week.

The new leader faces a busy in-tray as well as falling opinion poll support.

Britain’s economy is facing rocketing inflation, high debt, and low growth, with people coping with the tightest squeeze on their finances in decades, all set against a backdrop of an energy crunch exacerbated by the war in Ukraine which has sent fuel prices soaring.

As the contest heated up, rival campaigns stepped up private criticism of each other and pointed to either financial or other questions hanging over their opponents.

With most candidates saying they would cut taxes if they win, Sunak, the current bookmakers’ favourite, has sought to portray himself as the serious candidate, promising “grown up” honesty “not fairy tales”.

“It is not credible to promise lots more spending and lower taxes,” said Sunak,

As finance minister, Sunak set Britain on course to have its biggest tax burden since the 1950s, and the other prime ministerial hopefuls have turned their fire on him on tax, with most saying they would oversee cuts immediately.

Sunak said he did not want to distance himself from the fiscal decisions he made during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Whilst that may be politically inconvenient for me, it is also the truth. As is the fact that once we’ve gripped inflation, I will get the tax burden down,” he said. “It is a question of when, not if.”

‘Sound money’

The former finance minister has the widest support among colleagues who have publicly expressed their view, including the backing of deputy prime minister Dominic Raab.

“I know that Rishi has got what it takes,” Raab said, introducing Sunak at his campaign launch event.

Penny Mordaunt, a junior trade minister who is also heavily tipped, topped a poll of Conservative members on Monday and she too has tried to strike a more measured tone on tax, saying that while she would cut taxes: “I will pioneer sound money.”

“I am a small state, low tax conservative, but I also believe we need to use the levers of government to support jobs and livelihoods through difficult economic situations,” she wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Among the others to launch their campaigns on Tuesday were Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the foreign affairs committee, and Kemi Badenoch, a former junior minister who is scooping up some support on the right wing of the party.

Foreign secretary Liz Truss was also hoping to challenge those at the top of the leader board and received the backing on Tuesday of two ministers closest to Johnson – Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg – who have both been critical of Sunak.

On Monday, the 1922 Committee of Conservative members of parliament agreed on the rules for the contest, saying the field will soon be whittled down with repeated votes in the next few weeks and the final two being presented to the party by July 21.

It said the winner, and Britain’s new prime minister, would be announced on Sept. 5.

The main opposition Labour Party will put forward a motion of no confidence in the government on Tuesday to try to force Johnson out of office straightaway. The vote will be held on Wednesday and although some Conservatives have voiced concern about Johnson remaining as prime minister, they are very unlikely to support it.

The new leader will have to reverse evaporating support. A survey by Savanta ComRes on Monday put Labour at 43% compared with 28% for the Conservatives, its biggest poll lead since 2013.

On Russia’s Banned List: Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Priti Patel, 10 Others

The full list of 13 British politicians includes UK’s Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and defence secretary Ben Wallace.

London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several top UK Cabinet ministers and politicians are banned from Russia for their unprecedented hostile actions of imposing sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, the Russian Foreign Minister said in a statement on Saturday.

The full list of 13 British politicians on the so-called stop list issued from Moscow includes Indian-origin ministers UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Attorney General Suella Braverman as well as Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and defence secretary Ben Wallace.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the list will be expanded in the near future to include more British politicians and parliamentarians.

In connection with the unprecedented hostile actions of the British government, expressed, in particular, in the imposition of sanctions against top officials of the Russian Federation, a decision was made to include key members of the British government and a number of political figures in the Russian stop list’, said the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

This step was taken as a response to London’s unbridled information and political campaign aimed at isolating Russia internationally, creating conditions for containing our country and strangling the domestic economy. In essence, the British leadership is deliberately aggravating the situation around Ukraine, pumping the Kyiv regime with lethal weapons and coordinating similar efforts on the part of NATO, reads the statement, translated from Russian.

The instigation of London is also unacceptable, which is strongly pushing not only its Western allies, but also other countries to introduce large-scale anti-Russian sanctions, which, however, are senseless and counterproductive, it adds.

With reference to a string of economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the British government in recent weeks, the ministry accuses the British authorities of a Russophobic course aimed at stirring up a negative attitude towards Russia and curtail bilateral ties in almost all areas, which it says is detrimental to the well-being and interests of the inhabitants of Britain itself.

Any sanctions attacks will inevitably hit their initiators and receive a decisive rebuff, it said.

In the near future, this list will be expanded to include British politicians and parliamentarians who contribute to whipping up anti-Russian hysteria, pushing the collective West’ to use the language of threats in dialogue with Moscow, and shamelessly inciting the Kiev neo-Nazi regime, it adds.

Other UK politicians on the stop list include UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Minister of Entrepreneurship, Energy and Industrial Strategy Kwasi Kwarteng, Minister of Digitalisation, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries, Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, and Conservative Party MP and former British Prime Minister Theresa May.

In March, Moscow imposed a similar ban against US President Joe Biden in retaliation for American sanctions against the Kremlin over the conflict in Ukraine.

The UK sanctions have included financial measures designed to damage Russia’s economy and penalise Russian President Vladimir Putin, high-ranking officials and Russian oligarchs close to the Kremlin. Britain has been at the forefront of rallying support for Ukraine, with Boris Johnson in regular contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and also paying a visit to the conflict-torn region.

(Aditi Khanna)

Five Reasons Why the Ukraine War Will Adversely Impact India-UK Ties

India and the UK face an unprecedented trust deficit in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As Russia’s war efforts expand, so, too, will this deficit widen.

India’s abstentions in the February 25 vote in the UN Security Council and on the February 27 UN General Assembly resolution “deploring” Russia’s aggression against Ukraine were hugely disappointing to the UK.

In contrast, the UK has taken a leading international role in halting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The prospective escalation of the Ukraine war and its impact on the UK will have an adverse impact on India-UK ties. Skilful Indian and British diplomacy will be required to mitigate this. 

India’s abstentions in the UN on Ukraine

India and two other countries, China and the UAE, abstained in the first crucial UN Security Council vote on Ukraine on February 25; the UK and 11 others voted in favour of condemning Russian aggression. This was vetoed by Russia.

India again abstained in the vote in the UN General Assembly, along with 34 other states (including China and Pakistan), with five countries opposing it. But, with the support of 141 countries (including the UK), the resolution against Russia was passed. 

India sees its abstention as an act of ‘neutrality’; a ‘balanced’ position that does not take sides and is not supportive of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the UK expected, largely unrealistically, that the world’s largest democracy and a champion of a rules-based international order would vote against Russia on the basis of ‘principles’.

Moreover, as a “natural partner” of the UK with “shared values” and agreeing to act together “as a force for good in the world”, it felt that India should have taken sides against Russia. 

It is now clear that India acted on the basis of its own national interests, largely the result of its strategic dependence on Russia for sophisticated arms denied to it by the West. Indeed, earlier in February, when India’s external affairs minister S. Jaishankar was challenged at the Munich Security Conference as to whether ‘principles’ should apply across the world uniformly, including in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific, he responded that “principles and interests are balanced”.

Despite the escalating violence in Ukraine and the death of an Indian student in Russian shelling, India has not changed its diplomatic position. However, its criticism of Russia, although indirectly, has increased. This includes its emphasis on respect for the ‘sovereignty and territorial integrity of states’, disappointment over false official Russian narratives over the plight and safe evacuation of a sizeable number of Indian students and provision of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

India continues to express “deep concern” over the situation in Ukraine, while consistently emphasising ‘diplomacy and dialogue’. 

Official British response

In view of the comprehensive nature of their strategic partnership, the UK political leadership has not publicly criticised or expressed its disappointment with India. Instead, it encourages India to mount diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia while seeking closer UK-India security and economic ties, the latter influenced by the prospect of a free trade agreement (FTA) with India. 

On March 6, the UK’s deputy prime minister Dominic Raab noted that India, as a country that has a “close relationship” with Russia, could “play a greater role” and urged India to “step up the diplomatic pressure and indeed the pressure on Putin via sanctions to make sure that we can reverse this illegal invasion into Ukraine”. But, India is currently not contemplating any sanctions against Russia; it will also only support UN-mandated sanctions.

Two days later, at a hearing of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss stated that she had “encouraged India to stand against Russia”. But, the way forward was for a “closer economic and defence relationship with India, both by the United Kingdom, but also by our likeminded allies”.

She added, “we are working on those closer security links…we are now negotiating a trade agreement…we also need to work with countries like South Africa and India to reduce their dependence –whether it be on Russian defence, Russian oil and gas, or their export markets”.

Despite such an official UK conciliatory position as well as a renewed call towards a heightened security and economic partnership with India, the Ukraine War will adversely affect bilateral ties for five reasons: 

1. Emergence of a UK-India ‘trust-deficit’.

India’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in a serious divergence of views and has created a ‘trust-deficit’ between the two countries, despite UK ministerial rhetoric. This is especially true during the ongoing highly-charged political and emotional environment in the UK over Ukraine.

The UK’s ambitions for India to take on larger, high-profile roles and responsibilities on the world stage have been jolted and dampened, exacerbating their existing divergences on Russia.

In June 2018, India voted against a UK-led motion to authorise the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to apportion blame for the poisoning on UK territory of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal. A year ago, the UK’s Integrated Review viewed Russia as the “most acute threat” to its security, whereas India rhetorically refers to Russia as a ‘special and privileged strategic partner’.

Also read: The Poisoning of Former Russian Double Agent Sergei Skripal Explained

2. Escalation of the Ukraine war

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine escalates, casualties mount and the number of refugees increase, the UK-India ‘trust-deficit’ will widen in the absence of deft Indian diplomacy. In sharp contrast to India’s diplomatic stance, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now urging world leaders to mount a renewed effort to halt Russia’s invasion.

It will no longer be considered enough to simply support the rules-based international order, but this order must be defended “against a sustained attempt to rewrite the rules by military force”. Johnson has also stated in Parliament that Russia’s use of munitions on innocent civilians in Ukraine qualified as a “war crime”.

The UK has provided defensive weapons to Ukraine, sent its personnel to train its army and encouraged and imposed economic sanctions on Russia.  

3. The centrality of Europe for the UK.

The enormity and implications for the UK of Russia’s expansion in Europe need to be better understood in India. Influential members of India’s strategic community perceive this simply as an ‘East-West conflict centred in Europe; a continuation of the cold war’. But for the UK, this is far from reality.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine represents the first ‘state-on-state’ conflict in Europe since the Second World War; precisely what the establishment of a rules-based order was meant to prevent. An expansion of the conflict represents an existential threat to the UK in a change to the security architecture of Europe.

In response, the UK and the West seek to degrade Russia’s economy and isolate it politically, as never before. Although the UK and India have had political differences in the past, this one over Russia is qualitatively different and has the prospect of being the most serious in decades. Never before has India’s abstention in a UN vote also caused such an international stir. 

4. The centrality of the Indo-Pacific for India.

For India, China remains the principal threat to its security. There has been a growing convergence between the UK and India in the past year over the Chinese military’s assertive policies in the Indo-Pacific, including its aggression against India. But, with the UK’s political attention consumed by the Ukraine war, the implementation of its ‘tilt’ towards the Indo-Pacific is likely to be distracted and delayed. 

5. Defence cooperation could suffer. 

In the short term, it is likely that bilateral defence cooperation will suffer. The Indian Air Force’s first-time participation in the multination Cobra Warrior air exercise in the UK will not take place since the exercise stands cancelled. Similarly, the UK will not participate in the DefExpo in Gandhinagar which was scheduled to take place this week, but has been postponed.

However, the UK foreign secretary’s intent to deepen defence cooperation with India, seeking to provide an alternative to Russia, is important, but ambitious. This will need far better UK-based assessments on India’s dependence on Russian arms and the phasing out of older Russian weapon systems and spares from India’s armed forces.

Also read: US Sanctions Against Russia Take India’s Materiel Upkeep Concerns From Bad to Worse

It would also need to incorporate the strain and impact of western sanctions on Russia’s arms supplies to India. Currently, the UK has a less than 3% share in India’s defence; the UK will also need to overcome some serious ‘legacy issues’ on the supply of arms to India.

Conclusion

The UK and India have not faced such a ‘trust-deficit’ between them in decades. This is expected to widen with the escalation and expansion of the Ukraine war. Agile Indian diplomacy could seek to mitigate this by seeking to facilitate engagement between Russia and Ukraine, being one of a handful of countries that is able to engage with both at the highest political levels. The prospect of Russia’s increased political and economic isolation, amidst India’s strategic dependence on it, should spur these efforts, while seeking credible alternatives both diplomatically and strategically. 

Rahul Roy-Chaudhury is a Senior Fellow for South Asia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London

Indian Origin MPs in UK, Canada Call for Justice for Farmers Killed at Lakhimpur Kheri

Since it began, issues surrounding the farmers’ protest have been talked about by Indian origin lawmakers in foreign countries.

New Delhi: Indian-origin lawmakers in Canada and the UK have strongly criticised the killing of at least eight people, including four farmers, at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh on October 3, indicating that the farmers’ protests continue to be a political lightning rod among the diaspora.

On Sunday, at least four farmers taking part in the protests against the farm laws were mowed down by a jeep, following which violence erupted. Four others, including two BJP workers and a journalist, were also killed, apparently in clashes after the car ran over the farmers. However, there is no official version of the death of the four others.

Also read: UP: 8 Dead, Tensions High in Lakhimpur Kheri, FIR Against Minister’s Son; Priyanka, Akhilesh Detained

The farmers have claimed that the vehicle was being driven by Ashish Mishra, Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son. The minister and his son have denied that Ashish was at the scene, however, an FIR has been filed against him.

Ruby Singh Sahota, a Canadian Liberal member of parliament, tweeted that she was “heartbroken to learn about the violence directed at protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, India”. 

Sahota had also raised the issue of the farmers’ protests in the Canadian parliament in November last year.

Canada, where a large number of the Indian diaspora is from Punjab, has witnessed several demonstrations in solidarity with Indian farmers. The farmers’ protests even became an electoral topic in diaspora-dominated constituencies during the recent federal elections.

The issue has also figured into bilateral conversations between India and Canada, with Canadian lawmakers expressing concerns about the use of force against protestors.

A month after that, India had summoned the erstwhile high commissioner of Canada to India, Nadir Patel, over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s remarks supporting the right to peaceful protests for farmers in India.

Conservative MP Tim Uppal had also tweeted his shock about the “brazen attack on protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri which killed four farmers and injured many others”. 

The former federal minister of state had also been part of the virtual radio program to mark Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary, during which Trudeau had made the remarks which offended the Indian government.

Across the Atlantic, the UK’s first woman Sikh MP, Preet Kaur Gill, said that the death of the four farmers was “deeply disturbing” and tweeted the names and ages of the dead.

Gill had written to the British foreign secretary in February asking what the UK government was doing with regards to the farmers’ protests in India. 

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi of the Labour party, the most vocal among the UK’s Indian-origin MPs on the issue of the farmers’ protests, also tweeted his concern at the “trampling to death” of peaceful activists and others at Lakhimpur Kheri.

“My heartfelt condolences to the families for their immense loss. Hope the authorities and media will treat them fairly, because they deserve justice now,” he tweeted.

In March this year, India had summoned British high commissioner Alex Willis after the UK’s parliament held a debate on ‘Press Freedom and Safety of Protestors’. The Ministry of External Affairs had called it an “unwarranted and tendentious” discussion and a “gross interference” in India’s internal affairs.

UK Govt Tells Christian Michel It Takes Report of His Arbitrary Detention ‘Very Seriously’

The matter has been raised with India’s foreign secretary, the Indian high commissioner to the UK and the Indian external affairs minister, the UK government said.

London: The British government is unhappy at the “arbitrary detention” of one of its nationals, Christian Michel, in Delhi for 33 months without a trial. It will, from indications, persist in diplomatically drawing the attention of the Narendra Modi government to the alleged violation of human rights, international law and India’s commitment to United Nations conventions.

Earlier this year, Michel had written to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson threatening to go on a hunger strike if the latter did not intervene.

In connection with the communication to Johnson, Lord Tariq Ahmad, the UK’s minister of state for South Asia and the Commonwealth, replied to Michel. “I can assure you that the UK government will continue to raise your case, including our concerns over the length of your pre-trial detention, and request the swift and fair resolution of judicial proceedings against you,” wrote Ahmad on August 2, 2021.

The UK minister informed Michel that he had raised the matter with the Indian foreign secretary Harsh Shringla on July 23 and with the Indian high commissioner to the UK Gaitri Kumar on June 8. He further disclosed that British foreign secretary Dominic Raab had brought the matter up with Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on May 6.

Ahmad explained to Michel, “The Global Human Rights Sanctions regime provides powers to impose designations for serious human rights abuses and violations around the world.” He went on to say, “Sanctions are one response among a number of diplomatic tools that can be used to tackle serious human rights violations and abuses around the world.”

In November last year, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) reached the conclusion that Michel was being arbitrarily detained – an offence generally not committed in democratic countries. Ahmad informed Michel: “We take these findings seriously and will raise the concerns we have regarding your detention privately with the Government of India.” He emphasised, “It rests with the Government of India to resolve your case through the judicial process”.

Quite unusually, the British supported Michel’s last bail application by submitting a petition to the CBI judge, pointing out ill-health brought about by his prolonged and allegedly inhuman incarceration. But the application was refused. Michel’s Indian lawyer Aljo Joseph has, however, appealed to the Delhi high court to review the matter.

The UN Human Rights Council, in the meanwhile, is considering its course of action following the expiry of the six-month deadline given to the Modi regime to act on the WGAD’s directive in November last year to release Michel immediately and compensate him for the ill-treatment meted out.

In a copious 10-page hand-written letter to Johnson, Michel alleged:

“In 2017 (Narendra) Modi the prime minister of India invited (President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi) Sheikh Al Nahyan to be guest of honour at India’s Republic Day 26 Jan. To Sheikh Al Nahyan’s surprise Modi asked the Sheikh to arrest me from Dubai in the UAE & send me to India. The Sheikh agreed but under the Indo/UAE extradition treaty. Modi thought he could send a plane in one week. However the treaty stipulates that the request for extradition must contain such evidence which would lead to a conviction in the UAE, if tried in the UAE.”

He continued:

“I was arrested, released on bail. The India government were given 30 days to produce evidence. Then 60 days. After 90 days the UAE prosecutor rejected the Indian request due to ‘lack of seriousness’. A huge insult to the Indian government….. The Indian request was without any merit. Even the requesting authority was wrong & the section on evidence was just missing. Modi had not understood that Sheikh Al Nahyan expected him to obey the law. So my lawyer & I established that I could not be legally extradited to India.”

He narrated: “In April 2018 I was warned by the Dubai prosecutor that a deal had been done with India to exchange me (in lieu of the Dubai ruler’s daughter Princess Latifa, who had run away to seek asylum in India, being captured by Indian forces in the Arabian Sea and returned to her father) and I should go back to the UK. I had my passport & I should (have) run. But I was done running from Modi. If they were going to rendition me so be it.” Both the London high court and WGAD have upheld this version of events.

Sheikha Latifa. Photo: Video grab

Then he described: “In mid-May (2018) I & my lawyers were called to meet with a delegation of UAE officials led by Colonel Waleed of the Dubai CID & Rakesh Asthana special director CBI India (whose recent controversial appointment as Delhi police commissioner has been challenged in court). Over three separate meetings over two weeks in front of & with the UAE officials’ support and blessings & in front of my lawyers, openly without any concern for UAE, international law or my human rights, (Asthana) said that unless I implicate Sonia Gandhi, her son & the senior opposition leader Ahmed Patel in corruption, I would be taken to India (renditioned) & put in jail for a long time without bail. They said no one will save you & mentioned some names & said a deal has been done. It was made clear to my lawyers & I that I was to be swapped for Latifa. My lawyers were shocked. If I agreed, I would be made a witness & would not have to go to India.”

He proceeded to write: “My Dubai lawyers despite the risk put up a powerful defence pointing out embarrassingly to all that the Indian extradition request was the exact same document sent in 2017 & rejected for lack of seriousness.” Then: “On 4 December I was taken out of my police cell (in Dubai) handcuffed, blindfolded & pushed on to a private jet. There was no paperwork, I was not told where I was going & the blindfold was not taken off till I was in an office in Delhi Airport.”

About his ordeal at Tihar, he told Johnson: “As it turned out my inmate was not a reformed person. He got involved in a plot to kill me which failed.” He also maintained: “Due to the heat and lack of water I got three kidney stones. I got e-coli from the water when I caught Covid 19.” He complained: “When I applied for interim bail to the high court & the supreme court to avoid Covid 19 in jail, in the judgement it states that “foreign nationals will not be considered for interim bail under any criteria”.

He accusingly asked Johnson: “I assume that my public disavowment (referring to a statement by the British high commissioner to India Alex Ellis) was a message for Modi & (a) trade deal?”

He pleaded with the British prime minister to “think on this most carefully”. He then gave an ultimatum: “I cannot sir (stay) in this jail (any) longer. One way or the other I am going to leave.” He charged Modi of turning India into a “mobocracy”.

He copied the letter to among others the UN high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet.

The Indian ministry of external affairs’ spokesman was requested to comment on the correspondence. There has been no response till the time of filing this report.

UNSC Watch: US Returns to Pre-Trump Palestine Policy, No Consensus on Libya Sanctions Chair’s Report

A weekly analysis on UN Security Council proceedings as India begins its two-year tenure at the body.

New Delhi: The last week of January saw a change in US policy on major international issues – and this time the platform was the 15-member United Nations Security Council.

A week-old Biden administration presented a return to Washington’s traditional approach on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute at the quarterly open debate on the ‘The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question’ on January 26.

The virtual meeting was briefed by senior UN officials, the Palestinian foreign minister and Israel ambassador, but all eyes were on the United States.

US envoy-designate Linda Thomas-Greenfield is still to be confirmed by the Senate, so acting US ambassador to UN Richard Mills was the messenger to convey the changes.

“Under the new administration, the policy of the United States will be to support a mutually agreed two-state solution, one in which Israel lives in peace and security alongside a viable Palestinian state,” stated Mills.

Ahead of this meeting, there had been two significant development in the region. Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas announced a calendar of elections this year – legislative on May 22, presidential on July 31 and National Council on August 31.

On the Israel side, there was an acceleration in developing around 2,700 settlement houses in West Bank.

There was no specific reference to the election announcement or new settlement housing. But Mills did bring in a critical view of settlements in a sentence urging both Israel and Palestine to bridge the trust deficit by taking specific steps. “In this vein, the United States will urge Israel’s government and the Palestinian Authority to avoid unilateral steps that make a two-state solution more difficult, such as annexation of territory, settlement activity, demolitions, incitement to violence, and providing compensation for individuals imprisoned for acts of terrorism.”

Also read: UNSC Watch: In New York, India’s Balancing Act Between West and Russia Over Belarus

Mills then announced that the US would restore aid to Palestinians and re-open the Palestinian embassy. “President Biden has been clear in his intent to restore US assistance programs that support economic development and humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people and to take steps to re-open diplomatic missions that were closed by the last US administration.”

US had closed down PLO’s diplomatic mission in Washington in 2018 on the grounds that Palestinian leaders had not engaged with Washington’s peace effort and tried to get International Criminal Court (ICC) to begin an investigation of Israel. The Trump administration also closed down its US consulate general in Jerusalem which dealt with Palestinian affairs by merging it with the newly relocated US embassy to Israel in the divided city.

The anticipation of the Biden administration’s approach having a more positive impact was evident from the statements of most of the participants.

Arab League secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit hoped that new US government would correct “unhelpful measures and policies and relaunch the political process”. Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki stated that it was time to “repair the damage left by the previous United States administration”.

In his intervention, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilead Erdan, spent a considerable amount of time arguing that Iran should be one of the main topics to be discussed in a debate on West Asia.

Slamming the Palestinians for refusing Israel’s offers, he asserted that the Palestinian government’s call for a peace conference was a mirage. “Don’t be fooled by this; it is only another distraction. Abbas knows a conference will not bring peace. The only way to achieve real peace is through direct, bilateral negotiations,” he said in his speech.

He also disparaged President Abbas’ announcement of elections, indicating that it was only done to curry favour with the new Biden administration.

India’s permanent representative to UN, T.S. Tirumurti welcomed the announcement of the elections and urged that all steps are taken to “ensure that these elections are held smoothly, fulfilling the democratic aspirations of the Palestinian people”.

Tirumurti also supported Palestine’s proposal to “hold an international peace conference with the participation of all relevant parties to achieve the vision of a sovereign and independent Palestine living side by side in peace and security with Israel”. He also had stated that India’s support for the peace conference was in the context of a comprehensive solution to the conflict by achieving the two-state solution “through direct negotiations between the two parties”.

No consensus 

At the briefing on Libya for council members by the acting special representative and head of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Stephanie Williams, India – as the new chairman of the 1970 Libya sanctions committee – should have also been briefing the council.

However, India was not able to present a briefing as chair. Sources stated that the chair’s report is usually factual and finalised through consensus between the 15 members. With some of the members taking a polar opposite stance on a few issues, there was no agreement on the chair’s statement..

However, India, in its own statement at the meeting, asserted that the credibility on the sanctions regime in Libya depends on its strict compliance. “Blatant violations of the arms embargo are a serious threat to peace and stability in Libya and need to be condemned. This Council should also look at options to address the issue of management of frozen assets,” said Tirumurti.

He also stated that lasting peace in Libya could only come after there was complete departure of foreign fighters. “We are well past the deadline of 90 days set by the Libyans themselves when they signed the Ceasefire Agreement for departure of all foreign fighters.”

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres had also called for foreign fighters to “leave the Libyans alone” .

US envoy Mills specifically named “Russia, Turkey, and the UAE, to respect Libyan sovereignty and immediately cease all military intervention in Libya”.

Also read: UNSC Watch: Now in Security Council, India Gets a Taste of Polarised Division in an Open Debate

Tirumurti also reminded that India had been one of the original countries to have raised red flags when the western countries pushed through resolutions 1970 and 1973 on Libya in 2011. “We had then conveyed our reservations on the way these two resolutions were rushed in the Council. India had called for a calibrated and gradual approach and stressed on the importance of political efforts to address the situation. Ten years down, enduring peace still remains a dream in Libya and the Libyan people continue to bear the brunt of actions taken by this Council and the international community”.

The other major debates last week were on covid-19, where several countries expressed concern that the gap in vaccination between the rich and developing world could impact international peace and security.

The Security Council also unanimously extended the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus till July 31, 2021. The resolution specifically raises concern about Turkey opening part of seaside resort Varosha on Cyprus’s east coast.

Next week

With the start of a new month, the United Kingdom will take over the presidency of the Security Council. While the programme of work for the month will be decided on Monday, there is expected to be two signature events on climate change to be chaired by UK prime minister Boris Johnson and UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab. However, these are not likely to take place in the first week of February, as the invitations for high-level participation has not yet been circulated to UNSC members.

This is a weekly column that tracks the UNSC during India’s current term as a non-permanent member. Previous columns can be found here.

UK PM Boris Johnson Cancels Trip to India, Cites Need to Focus on COVID-19 Response

Johnson had been invited as the chief guest for the January 26 Republic Day celebrations.

New Delhi: Just two weeks after the official announcement was made, United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed regret that his visit to India will have to be postponed due to stricter COVID-19 restrictions.

“The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) spoke to Prime Minister Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned,” said a statement released by 10, Downing Street.

Johnson was supposed to visit India this month to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26. The announcement had been made when UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab had travelled to India in mid-December.

However, even as Raab was in Delhi, the number of COVID-19 patients in the UK had begun to increase with a new strain of coronavirus detected, which spread more rapidly. 

Also read: New Coronavirus Variant Doesn’t Cause More Severe Illness – England Study

As per latest numbers, 58,784 new cases were reported on January 4 – an increase of more than 17,000 since last week.

“In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus,” said the UK statement.

Johnson also stated that he hopes to visit India in first half of 2021, before UK hosts the G-7 summit. The Indian prime minister has been invited to attend the G-7 summit as a guest.

The Indian read-out of the phone call stated that PM Modi “expressed his understanding of the exceptional situation in the UK, and conveyed his best wishes for the quick control of the pandemic”. “He looked forward to receiving Prime Minister Johnson in India at the earliest opportunity after normalisation of the situation,” added the official press note.

India has reiterated commitment to deepening bilateral relationship, including in combatting the pandemic.

There has been no indication so far from the Indian government on whether any other world leader will be invited as chief guest.

The last time that India had to face a vaguely similar situation over Republic Day was in 2018, when US President Donald Trump formally turned down his invite. However, India then had at least three months to go for the celebrations and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest at the 2019 Republic Day parade.

Around seven years ago, Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk had stepped in at the last moment after the then Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, turned down the formal invitation.

India has had foreign chief guests at all Republic Day parades for the last 66 years, except in 1966, when the new government of Indira Gandhi was sworn in on January 24.

The UK prime minister’s visit had also been shadowed by the ongoing farmers’ protests near Delhi. Farmer leaders have threatened to hold a ‘tractor parade’ in Delhi on January 26, if their demand of the rollback of the three farm laws is not accepted.

Earlier, a group of UK Members of Parliament, most of them from the opposition Labour, had written a letter to Johnson asking him to take up the issue of farmers’ right to peaceful protest during his visit. 

When the UK foreign secretary was in Delhi, he discussed the subject with his counterpart, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar. “Of course, they [farm laws] have elicited the protests that you refer to, and your politics – in some sense – because of the Indian diaspora in Britain, is our politics,” he had told reporters.

Note: The article has been updated with the Indian government’s official statement on the phone conversation between Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi.

UK MPs to Urge Boris Johnson to Raise Farmers’ Protests During India Trip

Labour party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi has announced that a letter addressed to Johnson was being drafted and will be signed by MPs from various parties.

New Delhi: Even as preparations are underway for United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s India visit next month, a letter is being drafted by a group of British members of parliament to ask Johnson to convey concerns on the issue of the farmers’ protests to his Indian host.

Since November 26, thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and several other states have been protesting at various borders of Delhi, seeking a repeal of the three farm laws enacted in September.

In a video posted on his Twitter account on Thursday, Labour MP from Slough, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi announced that a letter addressed to Johnson was being drafted and will be signed by MPs from various parties.

 

Dhesi had previously raised the issue of the farmers’ protests in the UK parliament during the weekly prime minister’s questions (PMQs) session on December 9. But, Johnson had inexplicably replied by talking about India-Pakistan dispute, which baffled observers. The UK high commission had later stated that the PM had “misheard” the question.

Even earlier, Dhesi had initiated a letter from 36 MPs to the UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab asking him to raise the matter during his visit.

When Raab travelled to Delhi, he told reporters that the issue of the farmers’ protests had been discussed during his talks with Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar.

While he noted the issue of farm laws was domestic, Raab argued that it could not be considered just an internal issue due to the large Indian diaspora in the UK who are following the protests closely.

Also read: Farmers Protest: Why Are Some ‘Liberals’ Invoking the Legacy of Margaret Thatcher?

“Of course, they (farm laws)  have elicited the protests that you refer to, and your politics – in some sense – because of the Indian diaspora in Britain, is our politics. But I think, India, as well as having a market-driven economy also has a vibrant heritage of peaceful protests and vigorous debate, and we watch that with interest and we respect it,” UK foreign secretary said on December 16.

In his latest statement, Dhesi thanked the UK foreign secretary for having raised the issue during his trip to Delhi.

However, Johnson’s non-reply in parliament seems to have irked the UK MP. “Unfortunately, PM did not quite understand the question (in parliament). Therefore, I have drafted a letter to be sent to Johnson because we have learnt that preparations have been made for his trip to India in January”.

The letter will ask the UK PM to convey “our heartfelt anxieties and those of our constituents to the Indian Prime Minister as well as hoping for a speedy resolution to the deadlock,” Dhesi noted.

He added that the Indian side should also be made aware of “the point that everybody must have a fundamental right to peaceful protest in their struggle to seek justice”.

The Labour MP called on UK citizens who are interested in the issue to contact their representatives to sign the letter. He also sent a message to the protesting farmers that “many people are concerned about your safety and well-being” and expressed hope that they will be back in their homes after a solution is found at the earliest.

Earlier this week, farmer protest leaders in India had also stated that they will be sending emails to Punjabi-origin MPs to exert pressure on Johnson to cancel his scheduled visit to India to be chief guest for Republic Day celebrations.

“The UK prime minister is scheduled to visit India on January 26. We are writing to British MPs asking them to stop him from visiting India till the time farmers’ demands are not met by the Indian government,” farmers’ leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu has been quoted as saying by ANI.

So far, Johnson’s trip is on schedule, despite the identification of a new variant of COVID-19 in the UK. On Monday, India had joined several countries in putting a temporary ban on flights from UK till December 31.

There has been no official reaction from the Indian side to Raab’s remarks on the farmers’ protest being raised in official talks.

However, when the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had expressed support for the right to peaceful protests by Indian farmers, the ministry of external affairs had summoned the Canadian envoy to lodge a strong protest. India had previously described the remarks by Trudeau and other Canadian politicians as “ill-informed”, “unwarranted” and an “unpalatable interference” in India’s internal affairs.

Discussed Farmers’ Protest With Jaishankar, Reforms an Internal Issue: UK Foreign Secretary

UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab, in India on a four-day visit, called it “a domestic political issue”, but added that the protests were being watched due to the presence of the large Indian diaspora.

New Delhi: UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab revealed on Wednesday that he “discussed” the farmers protest over new laws with his Indian counterpart, but added that agricultural reforms were India’s domestic political issue.

The UK minister is here on a four-day trip to pave the way for the India visit by Prime Minister Boris Johnson next month. He will be the sixth UK leader to be chief guest of the Republic Day celebrations.

There had been no mention of the farmers’ protest featuring in discussion in the official press communiques of both sides, but Raab confirmed that it did come up in an interview with journalists.

“I didn’t raise it (with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi). It was something I discussed with foreign minister Jaishankar but in the context, of course, the reforms that Indian government are trying to pass. That is a domestic political issue, of course,” he told the BBC in an interview on Wednesday, after his meeting with the Indian PM.

After he noted that the agricultural reforms were a domestic issue for India, he added, “We understand that different groups disagree with that. As we are discussing earlier, India has a tradition of noisy debate, which is quite right, that shows the health of the democracy and ultimately those are matter politically for discussion within India and its democratic framework, but I did have good conversation update with Dr Jaishankar about that”.

Also read: Why Justin Trudeau Is Supporting Protesting Farmers in India

Earlier this month, a group of 36 British MPs from across political parties, but mostly Labour, had written a letter to the UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab, seeking intervention of the government on the protests. “This in an issue of particular concern to Sikhs in the UK and those linked to Punjab, although it also heavily impacts on other Indian states. Many Sikhs and Punjabis have taken this matter up with their MPs as they have family members and ancestral land in Punjab,” the letter stated.

The MPs had urged the British government to convey these concerns to the Indian leadership.

In another meeting with journalists, Raab reiterated that the UK respects that the farm laws were a matter of the Indian system, but added that the protests were being watched due to the presence of the large Indian diaspora.

“Of course, (farm laws) they have elicited the protests that you refer to, and your politics – in some sense – because of the Indian diaspora in Britain, is our politics. But I think, India, as well as having a market-driven economy also has a vibrant heritage of peaceful protests and vigorous debate, and we watch that with interest and we respect it,” he said, as per The Hindu.

There was no response from the Ministry of External Affairs on the UK foreign secretary stating that the matter had been discussed.

The UK PM was also asked a question about the farmers protestors in parliament, but Johnson only reiterated his country’s position on India-Pakistan dispute. Later, UK clarified that Johnson had “misheard” the question.

India had earlier summoned the Canadian envoy after Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau had expressed support for the right to peaceful protests by Indian farmers. India had termed the remarks by Trudeau and other Canadian politicians as “ill-informed”, “unwarranted” and an “unpalatable interference” in India’s internal affairs.

Ahead of PM Boris’s Visit as R-Day Chief Guest, UK Says Trade Deal With India a Priority

UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab held four hours of discussions with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday.

New Delhi: Ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to New Delhi next month and the United Kingdom grappling with a possibility of a no trade deal with the European Union, UK has made it clear that the country’s top priority is setting up a “Enhanced Trade Partnership” that can lead to a free trade agreement with India. 

This was conveyed by the UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab in his remarks to the media after four hours of discussions with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday. Raab is on a four-day visit to India – which is the second visit by a foreign minister to New Delhi after US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in October since the pandemic. 

Raab’s visit was largely to set the agenda Johnson’s visit in January 2021 as chief guest at Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi. 

“Prime Minister Boris Johnson has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the UK-hosted G7 summit next year. The UK Prime Minister has also accepted the very generous invitation to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations (as chief guest) in January which is a great honour,” he announced at media interaction. Johnson will be the sixth UK leader to be the invited for Republic day celebrations since 1950. 

Jaishankar added that UK PM’s presence as chief guest for Republic Day will be “symbolic of a new era”. He said the visit would “drive” the two sides to put in place “new mechanisms” in place, indicating that there could be an upgrade in the “strategic partnership”. 

Also read: UK Clarifies PM Johnson ‘Misheard’ Parliamentary Question on Farmers’ Protests in India

The visiting minister laid it out on the table that the UK wants a trade deal with India as an urgent priority.

“I think we share the belief that we can do even more together on our shared priorities in the months and years ahead. For the UK, we see those priorities along the following lines. First of all, we want to deepen our economic partnership,” stated Raab. 

He noted that India-UK trade, before COVID-19 devastated the world economy, had been growing at 11% and stands at over $32 billion. 

“Now what we want to do is take that up to another level working towards agreeing an enhanced trade partnership next year – which itself we hope will be a stepping stone towards a future Free Trade Agreement,” added Raab. 

He advocated that this could unlock “huge opportunities for British and Indian businesses lowering barriers in areas like food and drink, healthcare and life sciences, IT, data, chemicals and financial services”. 

Raab also admitted that trade talks could be protracted. “Trade negotiations, even between close friends, have to benefit each other,” with Jaishankar adding that the trade ministers of both countries have already talked to each other. 

“We as foreign ministers see a powerful strategic case and we want to nudge our trade negotiators along and see what we can achieve,” stated the UK foreign secretary.

Agreeing, Jaishankar added, “We see the strategic case and we will be nudging them along”. 

He also dismissed a media question that India’s failure to join the regional free trade agreement, RCEP, meant that there was a question mark on whether a deal with UK will materialise. “I think you’re comparing apples and oranges. UK wasn’t part of the RCEP. So, I am not sure that our experiences and decisions on RCEP front really carry over to discussion with UK…There is, I think, a serious intent to take our trade relationship forward”.

Also read: Why India Shouldn’t View its Refusal to Join RCEP as a Victory

The UK is currently facing the daunting prospect of leaving the EU in two weeks without a trade agreement, four years after Johnson led the successful campaign for the island nation to leave the regional bloc. 

In fact, one of the key points of the Brexit campaign had been that UK was not able to increase its trade volume as EU membership stopped it from having trade deals with countries like India. 

“Locked in the EU, we cannot do free- trade deals with some of the fastest growing economies — in South-East Asia, China, India or the Americas — because our trade policy is entirely controlled by the EU Commission, where only 3.6 per cent of officials come from this country,” Johnson had written in June 2016. 

However, while UK has been pushing for a trade deal since Brexit, India had preferred to wait for the contours of Britain’s trade agreement with EU to be clearer. A major stumbling block had been UK’s restrictive visa policies for foreign students, which had miffed New Delhi. 

In perhaps a nod towards India’s priorities, Raab also praised the contribution of Indian students in his opening remarks. “In the UK we give a warm welcome to thousands of Indian students and academics in the UK each year. They make an incredible contribution to our country and we feel they are very valued guests and we prize the contribution they make,” he said. 

The other priorities outlined by Dominic Raab were stronger defence and security ties, climate change, education, research and deeper partnership in COVID-19 vaccine development. 

He also said that both sides were working on a “10-year roadmap”, whose “key elements” were agreed upon by the two sides during discussions with his Indian counterpart on Tuesday. This is likely to be a major takeaway which would be announced during the visit of the UK PM. 

Raab is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, following which he will travel to Bengaluru.