Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Foreign Secretary David Lammy outlines his priorities ⬇️

"We need to see an immediate ceasefire in Gaza: the death and destruction is intolerable. Much more aid must flow in and Hamas must release all the hostages." Foreign Secretary David Lammy on his first official visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories ⬇️

The new malaria R21 vaccine rolled out in Côte d’Ivoire could save millions of lives, thanks to British science expertise at the University of Oxford, Indian manufacturing at the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. and the immunisation work of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.    We’re committed to making more progress like this.

NATO is part of the UK's DNA. 🧬 75 years after Ernest Bevin helped create NATO in Washington, Foreign Secretary David Lammy renewed our commitment to the global alliance. #NATOSummit

75 years.  32 Allies. Our commitment to NATO is unshakeable.  

The UK and the US have a special relationship. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has a personal special relationship with America. Some things will never change. 🇬🇧 🤝 🇺🇸

Walking into King Charles Street for the first time as Foreign Secretary last Friday, I passed the bust of Ernest Bevin. Bevin was an inspirational Labour Foreign Secretary – and a personal hero. Proud of his working class origins. Firmly internationalist in outlook. And committed to realism, a politics based on respect for the facts. Nowhere was this clearer than in his role helping to create the NATO Alliance seventy-five years ago. As Foreign Secretary, he was equally committed to supporting the nascent United Nations. But he recognised that “naked and unashamed” power politics would limit its ambitions. Establishing NATO therefore became central to his strategy for how to protect Britain and our allies against future aggression. Moscow protested that this new grouping targeted them. But, while Bevin made every effort to engage the Soviet Union in dialogue, he dismissed such criticism. If that was how the Kremlin felt about a defensive alliance, it said much about their intentions. Seventy-five years on, the wisdom of Bevin’s approach is as clear as ever. Multilateral institutions like the United Nations remain indispensable. But they are struggling under the strain of multiple challenges. With a return of war to our continent and security threats rising, strengthening Britain’s relationships with our closest allies is firmly in the national interest. NATO is the cornerstone of our collective security. Today, I am joining the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary at the NATO Summit in Washington DC. Our commitment to NATO and Britain’s nuclear deterrent is unshakeable. The war in Ukraine has only reinforced the enduring centrality of NATO. But as in Bevin’s time, Kremlin disinformation about NATO’s role is rife. I am as dismissive of this as Bevin was. If Putin feels threatened by a purely defensive alliance, that says much about their own intentions. It is Russia that has ridden roughshod over its neighbours’ sovereignty and conducted assassinations on Europe’s streets. It is Russia that has walked away from its international commitments, leaving a trail of lies and broken promises. As Foreign Secretary, I will do all I can to build on the great legacy Bevin left us. At a time of rising insecurity, we join our allies in marking NATO’s immense contribution to our collective security and renew our determination to invest in the most successful defensive alliance the world has ever known.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy's message to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office staff across the UK and around the world ↓

Foreign Secretary David Lammy was in Germany, Poland and Sweden this weekend. Here’s why ⤵️

This government will reset relations with Europe as a reliable partner, a dependable ally and a good neighbour. That is why I am travelling immediately to Germany, Poland and Sweden with a simple message:: let us seize this opportunity, working even more closely together to tackle shared challenges. The most immediate of these challenges, of course, is Ukraine. We will stand by the brave people of Ukraine, as they defend their freedom against Vladimir Putin’s new form of fascism. British military, economic, political and diplomatic support for Ukraine will remain ironclad. But we are always stronger when we work with others. European security will be this government’s foreign and defence priority. Russia’s barbaric invasion has made clear the need for us to do more to strengthen our own defences. Next week, the Prime Minister, the Defence Secretary and I will all travel to Washington for the NATO Summit. This Government’s commitment to the Alliance is unshakeable, just as it was in Bevin’s time. This weekend I am discussing how NATO allies can go further in investing in our tightly connected defence industries and providing Ukraine with its own clear path to joining our alliance. Alongside security, we want to do more together to bring prosperity to our continent. None of us can address the urgency of the climate emergency alone – we need coordinated global action. And finally, we must do more to champion the ties between our people and our culture. Holidays, family ties, school and student exchanges, the arts, and sport. Thanks to this, our citizens benefit from the rich diversity of our continent. We can deliver more cooperation in many areas bilaterally, via NATO and in groupings like the G7, the Joint Expeditionary Force or the European Political Community who will gather at Blenheim Palace on 18 July. But if we are to fulfil our ambitions for a reset, we must also improve Britain’s relationship with the European Union. I am explaining to my new fellow Foreign Ministers how our new Government’s proposal for an ambitious and broad-ranging UK-EU Security Pact would underpin closer cooperation between us, enshrining a new geopolitical partnership. I am also hearing their ideas for how we can rebuild trust and reset the relationship between the UK and the EU. Over centuries, our individual and national stories have come together to tell a wider story of shared progress. Today, we all share a commitment to democracy, human rights and international law. Tragic experiences in our continent’s shared past have helped us to understand how our shared security and prosperity depend on these shared values. And I believe these values also offer a foundation for closer partnership in the future. My visit this weekend is just the beginning. I look forward to seeing Britain reconnect with our European neighbours in the years ahead.