Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will begin a five-day tour of Latin America today (19 May) which will see him travel to Peru, Argentina and Chile.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

This will be my first visit to the region since becoming Foreign Secretary. Latin America is a vibrant and dynamic part of the world that works closely with the UK on a number of issues including trade, security, science, infrastructure and education, among others.

I am looking forward to strengthening the UK’s relationship with countries in the region, as well as representing the UK at the G20 Foreign Minister’s meeting for important talks on climate change, the illegal wildlife trade and how to ensure girls across the world receive twelve years of quality education.

Starting in Peru’s capital Lima, Mr. Johnson, the first Foreign Secretary to visit Peru in over 50 years, will join President Vizcarra on a trip to the Amazon.

The joint visit will include seeing first-hand the work of an animal rescue centre to tackle the illegal wildlife trade and time at a remote Amazonian Community Centre to launch a UK-funded solar project providing electricity and potable water for the school.

After visiting Peru the Foreign Secretary will travel to Argentina for talks with President Macri and Foreign Minister Faurie. In Buenos Aires Mr Johnson will also represent the UK at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting to discuss a range of global issues with his counterparts.

Foreign Secretary Johnson will finish his five-day tour of Latin America in Chile, where he will meet President Pinera, Foreign Minister Ampuero and visit a British Council funded pilot project which aims to advance digital literacy and coding skills particularly among female students in Chile, Colombia and Peru.

Further information

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The Minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington MP visited Madrid today, where he met the Spanish Foreign Secretary Alfonso Dastis to talk about the deep bilateral relationship between the UK and Spain and to reiterate the UK’s commitment to forge even greater ties after the UK leaves the European Union.

The Ministers discussed the practical implications of the UK’s departure, including for Gibraltar where the priority remains to provide certainty to the thousands of people and businesses affected. Mr Lidington reiterated that the UK is confident that by engaging in regular conversations with the Government of Gibraltar and our EU partners – including Spain – we will find a way forward that benefits everyone living and working in the region.

The discussion also covered current foreign policy issues including Russia, the Iran nuclear deal, and the situation in Venezuela. The two Ministers recognised that the people of Spain and the UK have close ties, and that the two nations are major partners in trade. Mr Lidington underlined that the British Government is committed to maintaining existing levels of close cooperation in the future and said that we will also continue to work together to keep our citizens safe.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, David Lidington said:

Today I had a constructive meeting with Spanish Foreign Secretary Alfonso Dastis. The UK and Spain are friends and allies with a long history together, and we are looking forward to tightening those bonds even further.

We have made significant progress in our negotiations to leave the EU so far, and we are confident that we can find a way forward together that is to the benefit and shared prosperity of both ourselves and the European Union.

We want to be ambitious about the future relationship with the EU we are seeking, in both our economic and security partnerships. I am convinced that with our shared goodwill, creativity and focus, we will overcome the challenges ahead.

The United Kingdom and Spain are close partners in NATO and United Nations, among numerous international organisations, and the commercial relationship between both countries rose to 43 billion pounds in 2016. Nearly 19 million British tourists visited Spain in 2017 and around 300,000 British people are residents, while almost 200,000 Spanish people live in the UK.

Developing our North Sea oil and gas has been a Great British success story.

Since the first wells started producing in the 1960s we have created a secure domestic energy supply, created thousands of high quality jobs, delivered billions to the economy and driven the growth of a huge engineering sector that we have exported to the world.

Even with the amazing improvements in North Sea production, volumes are declining and we are now importing almost half of our gas supplies.

Although we are in no way reliant on Russian gas despite what the Russians would have you believe.

Because gas is so important for our economy we know that we will need it for decades to come.

It also fits with our world-beating climate goals as it generates less CO2 than oil and coal.

That is why every estimate of our 2050 emissions reductions targets from the independent Climate Change Committee includes gas in our energy mix and why it is right to continue to look for gas that can be safely extracted from the potentially huge reserves hundreds of metres beneath our feet.

And there are other benefits too.

Shale gas extraction could provide a big clean growth boost for local communities as part of our modern Industrial Strategy – bringing thousands of high quality jobs, local investment and financial benefits to many parts of the country.

And our world-leading environmental regulations mean we could create even more investment and export opportunities from innovations like recycling waste water.

There are those who argue strongly against shale gas, using the most colourful and scaremongering language they can find and intimidating local communities and decision makers with lots of protestors from out of town.

In my experience, most of these arguments are made by people who actually just don’t want us to use gas at all – now or ever.

While we should all be hugely proud of our huge progress on renewables that delivers almost 30 percent of our electricity needs, we cannot meet our energy and heat needs now, or for many years to come, at a price we can afford, without using the gas that geography has gifted us.

That is why we committed to support the development of onshore British shale gas and to deliver a clean safe and affordable energy supply for the country.

It is why I have set out these changes to the planning and regulation regime to make sure there is support available for all involved in this process.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

Prime Minister Theresa May spoke this afternoon with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of the G7 summit next month.

The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Trudeau for his support at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April in London. They reflected on the positive work done at the summit and both agreed they were looking forward to continuing this momentum at the G7.

Prime Minister Trudeau welcomed the significant commitment made at the summit by the UK to girls’ education in developing countries. He noted this would be a key area for Canada at the G7, to which the Prime Minister offered her support.

The leaders had a broad discussion about the upcoming G7, including the importance of the G7’s rapid respond mechanism to hostile state activity. They reflected on the common ground their countries shared on security matters.

They agreed that coordination between members states would be key across the G7, with Prime Minister Trudeau reiterating his ongoing support to work begun by the UK at CHOGM on ocean plastics.

The Queen has been graciously pleased to signify Her intention of conferring the following Peerages of the United Kingdom for Life:

Nominations from the Leader of the Conservative Party

1. Diana Barran MBE – founder and lately chief executive of SafeLives

2. The Rt. Hon. Sir Edward Garnier QC – lately Member of Parliament for Harborough and former Solicitor General

3. The Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Haselhurst – lately Member of Parliament for Saffron Walden and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons

4. The Rt. Hon. Peter Lilley – lately Member of Parliament for Hitchin and Harpenden and former Secretary of State for Social Security

5. Catherine Meyer CBE – founder and lately chief executive of Action Against Abduction

6. The Rt. Hon. Sir Eric Pickles – lately Member of Parliament for Brentwood and Ongar and former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

7. The Rt. Hon. Sir John Randall – former Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, Treasurer of HM Household and Deputy Chief Whip. Vice-Chairman of the Human Trafficking Foundation and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister

8. Amanda Sater, JP – lately Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. Chairman of StreetGames and of The Queen’s Club Foundation

9. The Rt. Hon. Andrew Tyrie – lately Member of Parliament for Chichester and former Chairman of the Treasury Select Committee

Nominations from the Leader of the Labour Party

1. Martha Osamor – campaigner on immigration, employment rights and racial discrimination

2. Pauline Bryan – author and campaigner

3. Iain McNicol – lately General Secretary of the Labour Party

Nomination from the Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party

1. Dr. William McCrea – lately Member of Parliament for South Antrim

Privy Council Appointments

The Queen has been pleased to approve that Baroness Chakrabarti be sworn of Her Majesty’s most Honourable Privy Council.

Knighthoods

The Queen has been pleased to approve that the honour of Knighthood be conferred upon The Rt. Hon. David Evennett MP.