British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday signed a Joint Declaration “to provide responsible leadership on foreign policy issues,” including the Indo-Pacific and China and the Western Balkans. The document listed 20 points, including strengthening their commitment to humanitarian aid and furthering multilateralism.
Celebrating the document, Raab said: “Germany is an essential ally, and together we are tackling global issues from climate change to humanitarian crises. The Joint Declaration will strengthen our bilateral cooperation on foreign and security policy for years to come.” Consequently, the document establishes a mechanism called the Foreign Minister Strategic Dialogue, which will “assure a high level of cooperation and coordination on foreign policy matters.”
In the first place, the document clarified that Germany’s membership of the European Union (EU) continues to be “a key point of reference,” and that Berlin remains committed to strengthening cooperation between the bloc and the United Kingdom (UK). In this regard, Germany vowed to ensure the “highest possible level of transparency” with the EU on its relations with the UK.
Moreover, the two sides will also “promote a more peaceful, secure and safer world, respect for democracy, the rule of law, global education and human rights, including gender equality, media freedom, freedom of religion and belief, and address the human rights dimensions both of climate change and the use of artificial intelligence.” They also committed to “fight against poverty, climate change, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss.”
In addition, the countries agreed to collaborate to a “rules-based international system” and support reforms needed in multilateral organisations. In this regard, they highlighted the central role played by the United Nations in “maintaining international peace and security and promoting multilateral solutions to global problems.” Both sides also underscored the importance of the United Nations Security Council, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in mitigating conflicts across the globe.
The document also refers to several controversial issues, including ongoing tensions with Russia and China. To this end, the leaders agreed to adopt a “shared strategic vision” besides highlighting the security challenges posed by Russia’s destabilising behaviour to European security. While vowing to take a firm stand to promote the principles of international law, the document pointed the importance of securing a “constructive and mutually benefitting relationship” with the Kremlin and the need to initiate dialogue to achieve this.
Regarding China, the Joint Declaration promised to hold the country to its international commitments in the Indo-Pacific. It said, “We will make common efforts to strengthen our institutions and the resilience of our societies against challenges associated with China’s increasing importance.” It also spoke of Germany and the UK’s joint commitment to work with its partners in the region and counter China’s aggression.
The document also mentioned cooperation in several other regional issues, including the conflict in the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus, Ukraine, Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and the Middle East.
The Joint Declaration comes in the run-up to a meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. These discussions are critical for the UK, which seeks to establish closer trade ties with its allies following its exit from the EU. Also, strengthening bilateral relations with Germany is significant, as it is the UK’s second-largest trading partner. Moreover, both countries also collaborate through several multilateral engagements in NATO, the G7, and the United Nations.
UK, Germany Discuss China, Indo-Pacific in Foreign Ministers’ Meet
Germany and the UK signed a joint declaration to cooperate on the Indo-Pacific and vowed to hold “China to its international commitments.”
July 1, 2021
SOURCE: GLOBAL TIMES