Day: July 12, 2018

He will be speaking with a variety of stakeholders about EU exit, the future of farming, and the importance of agricultural innovation to improve output and boost producer’s profits.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Lord Duncan said:

Make no mistake, Scotland’s food and drink is iconic – it is recognised for its quality and heritage all over the world, and is an enormous draw for tourists and investors alike.

And it’s not just salmon and whisky – Scotland’s soft fruits, meat and dairy produce is renowned for flavour and I’m really looking forward to meeting processors, growers and farmers and hearing all about their businesses and their thoughts on how the UK Government can support agriculture in Scotland.

At the Royal Highland Show I spoke about the importance that science and innovation has to play in agriculture and Dourie Farm is a great example of how genetic science can make a positive impact on the farm’s bottom line.

I’m also keen to hear from the teams behind Eyeball brewing and Thistley cross cider. Scotland’s craft drinks industry is booming and the demand is out there. We’ll be discussing the importance of frameworks around labelling, and opportunities for exporting all around the world.

It’s really important that as the UK approaches our exit from the EU that we can hear directly from a range of suppliers about the challenges and opportunities that they see over the years ahead.

Over the two days Lord Duncan will visit Hardiesmill Farm, Gordon; Eyeball Brewery/Thistly Cross Cider, and Belhaven Fruit Farm, Dunbar; Dourie Farm, Port William; and Cream of Galloway, Castle Douglas.

The Governments of France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, recalling their statement of 27 June 2018, welcome the announcement that Libya’s National Oil Corporation is resuming its vital work on behalf of all Libyans. We commend the legitimate National Oil Corporation as it repairs infrastructure, honors its contractual obligations, and, having lifted the state of emergency provisions in eastern Libya, restores oil exports and production critical to Libya’s prosperity. We also appreciate the LNA’s contributions to restore stability in Libya’s oil sector, which is critical to Libya’s national interest.

Libya’s oil facilities, production, and revenues belong to the Libyan people. We reiterate that the National Oil Corporation must be allowed to work on behalf of all Libyans and that Libya’s oil resources must remain under the exclusive control of the legitimate National Oil Corporation and the sole oversight of the Government of National Accord (GNA), as outlined in UN Security Council Resolutions 2259 (2015), 2278 (2016), and 2362 (2017).

Now is the time for all Libyan players to move forward with a Libyan-owned discussion about how to improve fiscal transparency, strengthen economic institutions, and ensure just distribution of the country’s resources, within the framework of the Plan of Action formulated by UN Special Representative Ghassan Salameh and on the basis of the Libyan Political Agreement, endorsed by the UN Security Council through resolution 2259 (2015). In this regard, we welcome the proposal of the President of the Presidency Council to move forward with enhanced transparency of Libyan economic institutions. More broadly, we call on Libya’s leaders to seize this important opportunity, within the framework of the Libyan Political Agreement, to resolve differences over the Central Bank of Libya, enhance dialogue on the distribution of resources through the national budget, and work toward the unification of the Central Bank of Libya and the dissolution of parallel institutions, as agreed in the May 29 joint statement in Paris.

We also stand in solidarity with Libya’s leaders as they work toward an inclusive Libyan owned political process that will lead to credible, peaceful and well-prepared national elections as soon as possible.

The Governments of France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States pledge to support Libyan leaders in pursuing these measures and will use all tools at our disposal to hold accountable those who undermine Libya’s peace, security, and stability.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn