Bold new beginning for Global Britain

5 Feb 2020 10:49 AM

Bold new beginning for Global Britain as Foreign Secretary kicks off Asia-Pacific tour.

Global Britain will be a force for good and an energetic champion of free trade as it pursues closer ties with international partners and embarks on a new role in the world. Leaving the EU marks a step change in Britain’s engagement on the world stage as a free-trading nation with a strong moral anchor.

Our ambitious plan to strengthen historic ties while broadening our horizons to embrace the opportunities in the rising economies of the future will be the theme of Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab’s four-country visit to the Asia-Pacific region, taking in Australia, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.

As the first major ministerial visit abroad following the UK’s departure from the EU, the Foreign Secretary will set out the guiding the principles behind the Government’s Global Britain campaign.

Ahead of his visit, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

Now is the time to put Global Britain into action. The Asia-Pacific region is full of opportunities and our message is that the UK is open for business and a great place to invest.

We will be an energetic champion of free trade to boost small businesses, cut the cost of living and create the jobs of the future.

And we will be a force for good in the world, leading on vital global issues, like climate change.

The Foreign Secretary will begin his visit in Canberra tomorrow (Thursday, 6 February), where he will hold talks with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne.

He will then travel to Sydney on Friday (7 February) to meet business leaders and visit the New South Wales Rural Fire Service to show support for those involved in the recent bushfire response.

The Foreign Secretary will travel to Japan on Saturday (8 February) for meetings with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and afternoon tea with Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

He will subsequently visit Singapore and Malaysia, where he will hold trade and bilateral talks with Foreign Ministers in each country.

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