Extensive Review (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs)

Minister Mike Gapes (MP for Ilford South) has asked the Department of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the policy shall be towards the investigation of the death of Alexander Litvinenko and requested a statement as to the extradition of Andrei Lugovoi. Jeremy Browne (MP for Taunton Deane) has stated that since the Crown Prosecution Service has announced that it finds a case for Andrei Lugovoy to answer, he remains liable for prosecution in the UK for the murder of Mr Litvinenko.[1] Alexander Litvinenko was an officer who served in the Soviet KGB and died from poisoning in 2006.[2,3]

Andrew Gywnne (MP for MP for Denton/Reddish) has asked the Department of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessments have been made of the effectiveness of the Department's policy of exploring contacts with Hezbollah. Alistair Burt (MP for North East Bedfordshire) has stated that The British Embassy in Beirut holds very limited contacts with Hezbollah politicians. This issue, along with a wider Lebanon policy shall be considered for review.[4] The Guardian reported on the 9th of July 2010, that William Hague (Foreign Secretary) had censored a Foreign Office blog-post that had praised the death of the Hezbollah mentor, Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah.[5]

Daniel Kawczynski (MP for Shrewsbury/Atcham) has asked the Department of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aims and objectives the Government has set for UK foreign policy on Kazakhstan. "We want to strengthen our relationship with Kazakhstan. Energy security and supplies, together with the corresponding trade and investment opportunities [happen-to-be] particularly important ... We [shall] work to enhance co-operation ... through language and vocational education links and on nuclear counter-proliferation issues. We [shall] also continue to work closely with Kazakhstan on the broader international agenda. Not least through Kazakhstan's important role this year as chairman-in-office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). We [shall] continue to encourage and support Kazakhstan to meet the human rights and political standards to which it [has been] committed as a member of organisations such as the UN and the OSCE," replies the aforementioned Mr. Browne of Taunton Deane.[6] Minister for Europe David Lidington, who took part in an informal meeting of OSCE Foreign Ministers (16 and 17 July, 2010) near Almaty, said that he was particularly pleased to visit Kazakhstan to reconfirm the strength of the bilateral relationship in such areas as business, energy, healthcare, education, agriculture and financial and legal services.[7]



SOURCES :

[1]. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2010-07-19a.8776.h&s=Foreign+Policy#g8776.q0;

[2]. Penketh, Anne (25 November 2006). "Alexander Litvinenko". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/alexander-litvinenko-425720.html. Retrieved 16 March 2010. (Archived at WebCite);

[3]. "In Memoriam Aleksander Litvinenko." Dir. Jose De Putter. VPRO Backlight, 2007. Documentary.[1] }

[4]. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2010-07-19a.8590.h&s=Foreign+Policy#g8590.q0;

[5]. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/09/foreign-office-blog-lebanon-hezbollah-fadlallah;

[6]. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2010-07-19a.8895.h&s=Foreign+Policy#g8895.q0;

[7]. http://ukinkz.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=22554305;

All Sources accessed via online URL as of today's date.