LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2020) Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab held a meeting on Wednesday with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in London and the sides discussed a wide range of issues, including bilateral cooperation, efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and climate-related issues, the UK Foreign Office said.
"The Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Retno to discuss international cooperation to find a vaccine for COVID-19, strengthening bilateral relations between the UK and Indonesia, tackling climate change, and the UK's bid to become a dialogue partner with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)," the statement said.
Raab emphasized the UK's commitment to global access to vaccines and recalled that London had recently allocated 500 million Pounds ($650 million) to the WHO-led COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX), which ensures equal access to vaccines worldwide.
"They also discussed the crucial issue of the UK's bid to be one of ASEAN's Dialogue Partners to deepen UK cooperation with countries in South East Asia on security, trade and the environment," the statement said.
The United Kingdom is interested in reaching bilateral trade agreements with the countries of Southeast Asia. The total volume of UK's trade with this region is about 36 billion pounds ($46 billion) per year. Following the withdrawal from the EU, London is seeking to significantly increase this figure.
