18 May 2023
The Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore, attended a series of political and diplomatic
engagements in London last week as part of a commitment to maintaining strong relationships,
fostering closer ties with our partners, and exploring opportunities for collaboration across various
regions and nations.
This included positive discussions with senior members of the UK government, the Irish and
Romanian Ambassadors, and key representatives at The Africa Debate 2023.
The Chief Minister, joined by the Minister for External Relations Deputy Philip Ozouf, met Levelling
Up Secretary and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, to
discuss matters including next month’s British-Irish Council meeting in Jersey, progress in our
relations with France and how both Jersey and the UK were addressing various domestic policy
challenges.
Alongside the other Crown Dependencies, the Ministers also attended an introductory meeting
with The Rt Hon Alex Chalk KC MP, the newly appointed Lord Chancellor. This was an opportunity
for the Islands to discuss key areas of mutual interest, including participation in the UK’s Free Trade
Agreements.
The Chief Minister, Minister for External Relations and (dialling in from Jersey) the Minister for
Treasury and Resources, held a productive meeting with the Cayman Premier, Hon. G. Wayne
Panton, together with other senior figures in the Cayman Government. They discussed
opportunities for sharing expertise across a range of areas of mutual challenge, including
recruitment and workforce planning, housing, and cooperation in the digital sector. At the
invitation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Chief Minister attended the
official reception for the 2023 UK and Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council.
As part of an ongoing Ministerial programme of diplomatic engagements, the Chief Minister met
the Ambassador of Romania to the UK, Her Excellency Laura Popescu, to discuss the strong
bilateral relationship between Jersey and Romania including our people-to-people links, culture,
and language. Other topics included providing further support for Ukraine, addressing skills
shortages, and clean energy.
The Chief Minister and Minister for External Relations also met the Irish Ambassador to the UK, H.E.
Martin Fraser. Their wide-ranging discussions included the British-Irish Council in June, EU
relationships post Brexit, Jersey-Irish bilateral relations, and the active role our Irish community
plays within Jersey.
Finally, the Chief Minister and Minister for International Development represented the Government
of Jersey at The Africa Debate 2023, a major summit of politicians and business leaders from across
Africa and the British family. Ministers discussed ways to boost links with African jurisdictions
through investment partnerships, development programmes, and recruitment opportunities in
Jersey’s priority sectors.
The Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore, commented “An important part of my role is to represent Jersey externally and build links with our key partners.
We enjoy very strong relationships with the UK Government, and I was pleased to discuss some of
our ongoing work with the Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and the Lord Chancellor.
"This was also an excellent opportunity to attend, with my colleagues from the Crown
Dependencies, the UK and Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council Reception and discuss
shared challenges and opportunities facing small jurisdictions.
"We similarly enjoy close diplomatic and cultural ties with Romania and Ireland, and I was pleased to
meet with their respective Ambassadors to discuss how we can further broaden and deepen our
ongoing relationships and co-operation.”
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