Policy paper

Joint statement on bilateral cooperation between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg 2023

Published 12 May 2023

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

Introduction

1. The UK and Luxembourg are close partners and allies with a shared European history. Our 2 countries share the common values of liberty and democracy. We are committed to upholding the highest international standards on the rule of law and human rights, and to promoting our shared values globally. We will strive to deepen our excellent relations inter alia in the areas of foreign policy, human rights, financial services, including climate finance, economic exchanges, mobility, and science and research cooperation. We reassert our commitment to joint working through multilateral fora including the United Nations, NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe, OECD and the IMF.

2. Our cooperation is consistent with, and also benefits from, the wider UK-EU relationship and Luxembourg’s membership of the EU, and both sides see the positive development of that relationship as supportive of our bilateral efforts.

3. Together with our international partners, we stand united in condemning Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. We reiterate our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

4. This Joint Statement will provide a strategic framework for our cooperation, enhancing our close partnership and reaffirming our commitment to joint working on the priority areas identified.

Foreign policy, security and defence

5. Luxembourg and the UK will cooperate closely in multilateral organisations in pursuit of our shared interests and values, and our commitment to uphold the rules-based international system.

6. To uphold the security and defence of all our Allies, we will continue to work together to ensure that Russia cannot further undermine European stability. We will continue to isolate Russia on the world stage and to help Ukraine defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty, including continuing the close coordination on sanctions between the European Union (EU) and the UK. We will cooperate to support Ukraine militarily, economically, and through humanitarian assistance. We will endeavour to ensure those responsible are held to account, including through our support to the International Criminal Court, to the UK-EU-USA Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group and to international efforts to address the Crime of Aggression.

7. As committed NATO Allies, in the face of pervasive instability and rising strategic competition, we will work together to strengthen NATO’s long-term defence posture, enhance its resilience and ensure that NATO continues to modernise, adapt, and maintain its technological edge enabled through the delivery of the Defence Investment Pledge. In response to efforts by malign and hostile actors around the world, we will align our efforts in NATO to ensure the alliance adapts to the new strategic environment, including through work on cybersecurity, emerging and disruptive technologies, and countering hybrid threats, in close cooperation with the EU. We recognise that the NATO-EU strategic partnership is essential for the security and prosperity of our nations and of the Euro-Atlantic area, and that NATO’s partnerships are key to helping tackle threats to the Euro-Atlantic area from the wider world. We will support partners including those most affected by Russian hostility, helping them protect their integrity, build capabilities, strengthen resilience and uphold their political independence against malign interference.  We will also continue to support arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation efforts.

Human rights

8. We will continue to cooperate at a multilateral level in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

9. As members of the Media Freedom Coalition, our countries are committed to working together to protect media freedom as a cornerstone of democratic societies.

10. As members of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), we are committed to taking a leading role in tackling conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and strengthening survivor-centred justice and accountability, including in Ukraine. We endorse the Call to Action to Ensure the Rights and Wellbeing of Children Born of Sexual Violence in Conflict. We will work to promote a survivor-centred approach to CRSV documentation in line with the Murad Code.

11. We will continue to champion equality for women and girls and marginalised people, members of the LGBT community, and persons with disabilities.

Economy and finance

12. We will continue our close cooperation on financial services, including via the close links of our finance ministries. Given the complementarity of our respective financial centres, we will explore new ways of deepening our collaboration on priority areas, specifically on financial innovation, sustainable finance, and women in finance.

13. We will deepen our economic relationship, identifying and focussing on areas of mutual interest, particularly in finance, technology and space sectors.

14. We will seek opportunities to deepen our science and research cooperation, including through organisation-to-organisation links and, as appropriate, via European research programmes. We will explore opportunities for knowledge sharing in areas of mutual interest.

Climate change and energy

15. We will continue our close cooperation on tackling climate change, building on our commitments agreed at COP26, and identifying future areas of collaboration including, but not limited to, sustainable transport, finance, defence, and renewable energy.

16. We will strengthen our dialogue on energy security and on supporting the energy transition, with a specific focus on offshore wind energy and renewables in the framework of the North Seas Energy Cooperation.

Mobility and migration

17. We will continue to support mobility between our 2 countries, including by supporting professional mobility of citizens in sectors of mutual interest such as the financial services sector, and endeavour to strengthen people-to-people links, including in respect of youth mobility.

18. Recognising the challenges facing Europe from irregular migration, we note the need for close bilateral and UK-EU cooperation, including between the UK and Frontex. We also recognise the importance of joint action to tackle the root causes and enablers of irregular migration upstream, notably in regions of shared interest.

Governance

19. At the request of either participant, this Joint Statement may be reviewed or modified by mutual consent. Any such modification will be in writing and would come into effect on a date to be decided by mutual consent. This Declaration is not legally binding and does not give rise to any rights or obligations under domestic or international law. It will come into effect on signature and will continue in operation until terminated by either Participant giving 6 months’ written notice of termination to the other.

20. The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom and the Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs will have overarching responsibility for this Declaration. We will hold an annual strategic dialogue to evaluate progress and consider new areas for cooperation. Dialogues will be held at senior government official level and alternate between the UK and Luxembourg.

Signed in London on 11 May 2023 in duplicate in the English language.

James Cleverly, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg