27th January 2011
Relations between Bolivia and Britain
In my New Year blog I set out the wide range of areas in which this Embassy is active in promoting good relations between our two countries.
The recent visit of Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca to London provided an opportunity to further strengthen that relationship. The principal themes of the meetings in London were two priorities of both our countries: climate change and the battle against narcotrafficking.
On climate change, Bolivia and the United Kingdom agreed to work together, as two high ambition countries, towards the best possible result at the Durban climate change summit in November this year. Both our countries are leaders in the climate change debate, and it is important that countries with ambition, focused on the need to reduce the impacts of global warming, join forces to ensure real momentum towards ambitious solutions.
The visit also saw the signing between Foreign Minister Choquehuanca and Minister for Crime Prevention James Brokenshire of a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Fight against Illicit Trafficking of Drugs. The global cocaine business cannot be stopped unless consumer and producer countries work together, across the whole chain of the trade, against those involved in a business that damages so many lives, undermines governments, and sows violence and corruption in its wake. The Memorandum of Understanding is an important expression of the commitment and determination of Bolivia and the United Kingdom to join forces, and provides a clear framework for our future collaboration.