A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said:

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab met Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio today at Lancaster House in London, as part of the G7 Foreign & Development Ministerial Meeting.

They noted their desire to continue to work particularly closely in this important year, given the UK and Italian respective presidencies of the G7 and G20 and the joint hosting of COP26.

They agreed high level ambitions for the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow in November, especially with regards to climate finance.

The ministers also discussed cooperation on a range of bilateral and global issues including the importance of the Global Coalition against Daesh in tackling the threat of terrorism from North Africa and the Sahel and the ongoing UN talks to resolve the Cyprus issue.

The ministers noted the progress made towards a UK-Italy Bilateral Cooperation Agreement, and reiterated their desire to build on our Year of Presidencies by signing before the end of the year.

Today (4 May 2021) the MHRA announced the appointment of Dr Alison Cave as its new Chief Safety Officer. As a member of the Executive Committee, Alison will lead on safety and vigilance functions and become a Board Director of the Agency.

Alison is a pharmacologist with a PhD in biochemistry. Her long career includes significant academic and regulatory experience, the latter initially at the Medicines Control Agency and then in senior roles within the Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicine Group at the MHRA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Most recently she was an Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Director at UK Research and Innovation.

We are delighted to welcome Dr Alison Cave to the team. This is a key appointment for the agency which signals our commitment to ensuring patient voice is at the heart of everything we do.

Alison’s wealth of academic knowledge, experience of working in partnership with industry and regulatory expertise will inform and strengthen our safety and vigilance functions and makes her the ideal champion for the patient voice.

I am tremendously excited to be joining the MHRA as Chief Safety Officer at a time when a rapidly changing scientific, technological and analytical landscape is bringing us new opportunities to evolve the evidence generation around the benefits and risks of medicines and devices.

I look forward to working with colleagues at MHRA to continue to improve our medicines and devices safety surveillance in the UK and in facilitating the close partnerships with patients and healthcare professionals envisaged by the Cumberlege report.

Alison will take up her post on 19 July 2021.

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said:

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab met Canadian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau today.

During the meeting the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed our close co-operation with Canada as a force for good in the world, and discussed UK-Canada collaboration on girls’ education, media freedom, and arbitrary detention.

Both the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister agreed to work closely together on ambitious COP26 and G7 priorities. They also discussed the international Covid-19 response, and deepening UK-Canadian partnership on security and trade.

The British Ambassador, Kate Foster, visited Hargeisa this week to reaffirm the strength of the UK’s partnership with Somaliland including in the trade and development sector.

In her first visit to Somaliland since her appointment in February, Ms. Foster joined President Muse Bihi in launching the main construction phase of the 22.5 km Hargeisa bypass. The UK-supported bypass will reduce the time and cost of transporting goods between Berbera Port and landlocked Ethiopia by addressing a strategic chokepoint on the Berbera corridor.

In the construction phase, particular attention will be paid to climate proofing, ensuring the road is built to last. Protection of local heritage is also a key consideration, recognising the road’s proximity to the iconic Nasa Hablood hills – the symbol of Hargeisa city.

The corridor is already facilitating the delivery of much-needed humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities in the wider region. The World Food Programme uses Berbera to bring 65% of its food aid into Ethiopia. With Ethiopia’s trade volumes projected to continue expanding, Berbera also represents an alternative for increasing trade and prosperity in the Horn of Africa.

The continued development of the Berbera corridor will ensure that ordinary people from across Somaliland will benefit from inclusive economic development. Future UK support will focus on more efficient cross border trade between Somaliland and Ethiopia including through the use of one-stop border posts, cargo tracking systems and efficient regulation at the border.

At the launch event, Somaliland President, Muse Bihi, said:

I would like to thank the UK and partners for their role in investing in Somaliland’s infrastructure to boost the economy, which will help in service delivery as well as create employment.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Kate Foster said:

We are proud to support the Hargeisa bypass, which is a crucial part of the Berbera corridor. Once this 240 km project – in coordination with our Abu Dhabi and European partners – is completed late next year, it will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people by creating jobs, unlocking the region’s economic potential and ease the delivery of humanitarian supplies.

At a time of huge challenges for Somaliland, including tackling COVID-19, this is a demonstration of the UK’s commitment to the people of Somaliland.

Eugene Torero, Director of Trade Policy at TradeMark East Africa, said:

We are grateful for the continued support by United Kingdom and the fruitful partnership with the Somaliland government which has ensured steady progress in the construction of this important road amidst many challenges.

TMEA is committed to continue implementing various initiatives, with the government, that will support Somaliland’s agenda in increasing trade not only within its borders but also with its neighbours consequently creating jobs and helping reduce poverty.