Thank you Madam Chairperson and thank you also to distinguished panellists for sharing their insights with us today and we welcome very much the opportunity to discuss these important issues with you.

Sadly, the months since our last conference have illustrated all too clearly the suffering that existing conflicts and crises in our region cause to civilians. It is imperative for all of us to do what we can to alleviate that suffering. The UK strongly supports the OSCE’s efforts to resolve existing conflicts and build confidence in the region, in line with OSCE principles and commitments.

The United Kingdom fully supports and welcomes the continued efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to secure a sustainable, peaceful and fully negotiated settlement of all remaining substantive issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We urge both Armenia and Azerbaijan to make use of this offer, engage in substantive discussions without preconditions and refrain from actions or rhetoric that could further aggravate tensions. We are deeply concerned at recent exchanges of fire at the border and we offer our condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. We also share Ambassador Kasprzyk’s conviction that the sides should take advantage of the support offered by the international community. We thank the Ambassador and his dedicated team for the information they provide to the international community and their efforts to support the sides in building confidence.

Madam Chairperson, we support the settlement process negotiations in the 5+2 format as well as meetings in the 1+ 1 format and in the Working Groups. We are grateful to Ambassador Mayr-Harting for all his efforts as well as to the other mediators and observers, and we express our gratitude to the OSCE Mission to Moldova for their constructive work to date. The UK supports a peaceful, comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Transnistrian conflict on the basis of recognition of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, within its internationally recognized borders, and with a special status for Transnistria. We call on the Russian Federation to involve the OSCE in the process of removal and destruction of Russian ammunition from Transnistria in accordance with the 1999 Istanbul Summit Declaration. We also recall the importance of the withdrawal of the Operational Group of Russian Forces, as part of the framework of commitments undertaken in the Summit Declaration.

We thank Ambassador Söder for her work as OSCE Special Representative in the South Caucasus, including as one of the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions. As the only international forum that brings together all sides from the conflict, the GID plays a vital role in trying to achieve a resolution to this ongoing conflict. The Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meetings also play an important role in preventing the escalation of the conflict and in helping protect the safety and security of people on the ground. Therefore, it is important that the meetings at Gali resume without further delay or pre-conditions. We call upon the Russian Federation to fulfil immediately its clear obligations under the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement to withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions, as well as its other commitments under the ceasefire agreement. We reiterate our firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders.

For the sake of all those civilians affected by conflict and crisis, it is crucial that the OSCE’s response and its conflict resolution processes are as effective as possible. A vital part of achieving that is securing the full, meaningful and equal participation of women at all levels of peace processes. It is also important to ensure that we integrate a gender perspective into all the OSCE’s conflict related work, building on the excellent guidance in the OSCE toolkit, ‘Inclusion of Women and Effective Peace Processes’. We welcome work undertaken by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the GID co-chairs in this regard.

The principles and commitments of the OSCE hold the key to rebuilding trust and restoring our collective security. If we can all demonstrate the political will to implement them in full, this will improve the lives of people living throughout the region.

Thank you Madam Chairperson.

A significant cross-government effort is underway, dubbed ‘Operation Warm Welcome’, to ensure Afghans arriving in the UK receive the vital support they need to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate into their local communities.

As part of the New Plan for Immigration, the government announced that those coming to the UK through resettlement routes would receive immediate indefinite leave to remain, and today (September 1) the Home Secretary has announced that this will apply to Afghans who worked closely with the British military and UK Government in Afghanistan, and risked their lives in doing so, meaning they can now stay in the UK without any time restrictions.

People already relocated to the UK under the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) will be able to apply free of charge to convert their temporary leave into indefinite leave. This will give Afghans the certainty and stability to rebuild their lives with unrestricted rights to work and the option to apply for British citizenship in the future.

To give children and young adults the best start in life the government is making at least £12 million available to prioritise additional school places so children can be enrolled as soon as possible, and to provide school transport, specialist teachers and English language support to assist with learning.

Further funding will be provided for up to 300 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for Afghans at UK universities and adults will also be able to access English language courses free of charge. While many will speak English through their work with the UK Government and British Forces, and as translators, language classes will ensure all their family members can fully integrate into their local communities.

Families who need support navigating the system will also have access to liaison officers who can work with local authorities to help them get set up with a GP, National Insurance number, school place, accommodation and more tailored support, as required.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

We owe an immense debt to those who worked with the Armed Forces in Afghanistan and I am determined that we give them and their families the support they need to rebuild their lives here in the UK.

I know this will be an incredibly daunting time, but I hope they will take heart from the wave of support and generosity already expressed by the British public.

The support for Afghan arrivals follows the largest and most complex evacuation in living memory. It includes:

• £3 million of additional NHS funding so that Afghans arriving under the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme can access healthcare and register with a GP once they leave quarantine;
• all are being offered the COVID-19 vaccine and so far more than 700 arrivals under the ARAP scheme have left quarantine and received their first vaccination, with more leaving and receiving a jab each day;
• £5 million funding for councils in England, Wales and Scotland to support Afghans coming to the UK via the ARAP scheme and provide a top up to help meet the costs of renting properties;
• the government is already working with more than 100 councils across the UK to meet the demand for housing, with over 2,000 places already confirmed;
• the Communities Secretary will convene a roundtable with council leaders from across the country in the coming days;
• to harness the generosity of the British public and make sure those who want to help know where to turn we will launch an online portal to allow people to submit offers of support for people arriving from Afghanistan;
• this portal is already available to submit offers of housing and work is now underway to expand this to further offers, such as job opportunities, professional skills training or donations of items like clothes or toys; and
• £200 million has been committed to meet the cost of the first year of the Afghanistan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, which aims to welcome up to 20,000 Afghans.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

We owe a great deal to the brave Afghans who worked alongside us and we want to make sure they have certainty and stability to be able to thrive in the UK.

As part of the New Plan for Immigration, I committed to providing refugees who make their home here the ability to rebuild their lives in the UK with essential support to integrate into the community, learn English, and become self-sufficient. By providing immediate indefinite leave to remain we are ensuring that those who have fled their homes have every opportunity to look to the future with stability and security and make a success of their new life in the UK.

Afghan Resettlement Minister Victoria Atkins said:

Operation Warm Welcome is a huge effort across government to make sure that those fleeing Afghanistan are able to make a success of a new life in the UK.

The stability of indefinite leave, the security of access to healthcare and the opportunity of education are the foundation upon which those resettled to the UK can build.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

This support package will help Afghan evacuees start a new life in the UK and I’m proud we are providing £3 million to ensure they receive the healthcare they need. This includes access to prescriptions, wound care and dressings, maternity care, mental health support and screening for infectious diseases. We will also offer the protection of a COVID-19 vaccination as they settle and rebuild.

Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris has today (1 September 2021) announced that a major upgrade to the railway line between Wigan and Bolton has been given the green light, focused on providing passengers with a greener and more reliable railway.

The track between Wigan North Western station and Lostock Junction near Bolton will receive a £78 million upgrade, targeted to complete in 2024/2025.

Through electrifying almost 13 miles of infrastructure and lengthening platforms, this investment will ensure that CO₂ emitting diesel trains are replaced by electric rolling stock. As longer trains with additional capacity, these will provide passengers with greener, more comfortable and more reliable journeys.

Chris Heaton-Harris, Rail Minister, said:

As we build back better and create a railway that truly works for passengers, I am delighted to give this rail upgrade the go-ahead.

This significant investment will provide a service around Greater Manchester that is better for both passengers and the environment, ensuring our railway plays its part in meeting our ambitious net zero ambitions.

Phil James, North West route director at Network Rail, said:

To help the region recover from the pandemic, we’re turning over a new leaf thanks to the £78 million investment to electrify the railway between Wigan and Lostock junction.

This environmentally and passenger-centric scheme will be a game changer for Greater Manchester’s railway as more electric trains mean better air quality, less railway noise and more reliable and spacious journeys for rail travellers.

Nick Donovan, Managing Director at Northern, said:

The electrification of the line between Wigan and Bolton will make a really positive impact for the North and will help us give our customers better journeys on greener trains.

In the past 18 months we have made significant improvements to the Northern network with a fleet of 101 new trains, refurbishment of our older trains and enhancements at stations. Today’s announcement provides further evidence of the rail industry’s commitment to improve and modernise our services and infrastructure to benefit passengers and the environment.

The upgrade project will provide 450 new overhead line equipment stanchions, and modifications to 17 bridges and two-level crossings. Platforms will also be extended at Hindley, Westhoughton and Ince stations to reduce overcrowding at peak times and cater for six-carriage trains in the future.

The project provides train operators with more operational flexibility to deploy trains to these parts of Wigan and Bolton from the recently upgraded train maintenance facility at Wigan Springs Branch.

Fuel pumps across Great Britain are now greener, with the introduction of E10 as the new standard grade of petrol, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced today (1 September 2021).

Over 95% of all petrol vehicles are compatible with E10, with the small number of older vehicles, including classic cars and some from the early 2000s, still able to access E5 petrol in the ‘Super’ grade. Motorists should use the government’s free online E10 checker to see if their vehicle is compatible.

E10 will not be more expensive at the pump than current standard petrol. Although using E10 petrol can marginally impact fuel economy – generally around 1% – this will be almost unnoticeable to most drivers when making every day journeys.

E10 petrol – which is blended with up to 10% renewable ethanol and made up of materials such as low-grade grains, sugars and waste wood, making it greener than existing petrol – could cut transport CO₂ emissions by 750,000 tonnes per year, which is the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off of UK roads. The move will help us reach our climate change goals as we prepare to host COP26 this November and makes it easier for people across the country to switch to greener lifestyles.

The E10 rollout this month will also support the increased production of biofuels at bioethanol plants in the north-east of England. Not only will this boost job opportunities in the local area, with the 2 big plants providing around 200 skilled jobs directly, it will also support thousands in the wider local economy including in the agriculture sector that supply the feed-wheat needed to run the plant.

This will help to build a new green economy, revitalising our industrial heartlands and supporting the UK’s wider bioeconomy as we build back greener from the pandemic.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Every journey matters as we drive forward the green industrial revolution, which is why the rollout of E10 is so important. It’ll help us cut road greenhouse gas emissions and meet our ambitious net zero targets.

Although more and more drivers are switching to electric, there are steps we can take today to reduce emissions from the millions of vehicles already on our roads – the small switch to E10 petrol will reduce greenhouse gas emissions as we accelerate towards a greener transport future.

Edmund King OBE, AA president, said

This is a positive and simple step to help reduce the carbon impact from road transport. While the vast majority of vehicles will be unaffected by the change, it is important for owners of older cars to use the government’s vehicle checker to see if they can use E10.

Even if E10 is put in a non-compliant vehicle, drivers should not panic and can simply put super unleaded in their tank at the next available opportunity.