Boris Johnson has said the UK was doing “everything we can” in the interests of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, as officials downplayed reports from Iran that said Britain would pay a £400 million debt to secure her release.
Iranian state TV claimed on Sunday that a deal had been struck over the long-running dispute, which has been suggested as a reason for the British-Iranian charity worker’s detention.
But UK officials have since downplayed the idea that payment of the debt would mean Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s imminent release, while the Prime Minister said on Monday they were “two entirely separate issues”.
“We of course make sure that we do everything we can to look after the interests of Nazanin and all the very difficult dual national cases we have in Tehran,” Mr Johnson told reporters during a campaign visit to Hartlepool.
Britain records just ONE Covid death in lowest daily toll in nine months while 1,649 infections are the fewest since September - as UK hits 50million vaccine milestone and Matt Hancock says we ll have a great British summer
Department of Health data show this was only the third time deaths had fallen to this level (August 3 and 30)
Health bosses also posted another 1,649 coronavirus cases, down by a fifth on the 2,064 last Monday
It was the fewest positive tests since September 2, before the second wave spiralled out of control
Around 34.6million Britons have had one dose and 15.4million – or 30% of all adults – are fully inoculated
UK and Japan agree strengthened trade and security partnership ahead of G7 meeting
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab met his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi ahead of the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ meeting.
From:
3 May 2021
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab held talks today at Chevening House with Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi ahead of the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ meeting.
The two Foreign Ministers discussed the UK’s application to join the CPTPP trade grouping and the Foreign Secretary thanked Minister Motegi for Japan’s support.
Speaking after the meeting, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:
I was delighted to host Toshimitsu Motegi in Chevening today for productive discussions about our strategic partnership. The depth of the UK-Japan relationship is based around a shared outlook on democracy, free trade, tackling climate change, and security collaboration.
2021-05-03 22:05:46 GMT2021-05-04 06:05:46(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
LONDON, May 3 (Xinhua) British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Monday met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss efforts to build back better from COVID-19 and a possible free trade agreement between the two countries.
The meeting took place in London ahead of the first in-person meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) foreign and development ministers in two years, according to a statement by the British government. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab hosted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at 1 Carlton Gardens ahead of this week s G7 Foreign Ministers meeting. They held a discussion on foreign policy priorities and opportunities to strengthen the UK-U.S. friendship, a British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said in a statement.