Britain wants closer ties with Indo-Pacific region - foreign minister
September 29, 2022, 6:00 pm

Britain wants closer ties with Indo-Pacific region - foreign minister

Westminster Abbey in London (File photo: Pixabay)

Britain is committed to forming ever closer links with the Indo-Pacific region, including greater economic, security and defence cooperation, foreign minister James Cleverly said in a speech in Singapore on Thursday (Sep 29).

Cleverly, whose trip to the region has also included visits to Japan and South Korea, told an audience of business, finance and academic leaders that Britain is set to have "the broadest, most integrated presence in the Indo-Pacific".

Britain intends to spend up to 500 million pounds in the region over the next five years, and work with public and private partners to support "quality green infrastructure projects" in Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia and Laos, he said, without providing details.

Britain is also seeking to join the trans-Pacific trade pact known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which removes 95% of tariffs between its 11 members.

"We intend to be the first European country to accede to the CPTPP .... which will give the region access to the UK's world-class financial services sector and the world's sixth largest economy," he said.

He also said security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific is indivisible from Europe's, welcoming Singapore and Japan's decision to impose sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

UK pledges $34 million to enhance security in Indo-Pacific

Cleverly warned China that when it "aligns itself with aggressive countries like Russia, its standing in the world suffers."

"We can see the countries which choose to be committed to trade and commerce and those which stand up to oppression and coercion. And those countries form a grid. The UK is committed to...reinforcing those grids," he said.

Source: anews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”