Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Acknowledged
Clarity lacking on integration and prioritisation of UK defence relationships
Conclusion
It is not always clear how the UK’s many minilateral and bilateral defence relationships feed into the Government’s broader strategy or if the Department and Ministers have an assessment of their relative prioritisation. (Conclusion, Paragraph 47)
Government Response Summary
The government is implementing a new Defence Diplomacy Strategy, coordinating with other departments to prioritise defence instruments, and continues to work closely with FCDO on major defence partnerships.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The SDR recognised that alliances and partnerships are the bedrock of global stability. The UK’s bilateral and multilateral relationships in Europe all complement our NATO First defence strategy, providing a network of mutually reinforcing relationships which make the Euro-Atlantic stronger as a whole. The Government is taking forward work to deliver and implement a new Defence Diplomacy Strategy, as recommended by the SDR. This will be co-ordinated with other Government Departments, including Cabinet Office, and prioritise the use of the defence instrument in support of UK defence and wider foreign policy. The MOD and FCDO work closely together to shape and deliver the UK’s major defence partnerships with European allies. This joint approach has underpinned recent highprofile agreements, including Lancaster House 2.0 with France and the Trinity House Agreement with Germany. In each case, the FCDO leads the diplomatic relationship and political negotiation, while the MOD provides defence policy leadership, military expertise, capability planning, and industrial input. Together, this produces a coherent UK offer that balances foreign policy objectives with defence requirements and longterm capability cooperation.