UK-France press Hormuz reopening, naval mission, mine clearance
Macron and Starmer rallied 51 countries behind free passage, protection for stranded crews and preparations for a defensive maritime operation.
- The UK and France co-chaired a virtual meeting with over 50 countries to support unrestricted freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
- The meeting stressed the need to prepare for the establishment of a multinational fleet for a defensive mission to protect merchant vessels.
- A key objective for the proposed multinational fleet is to conduct mine-clearance operations to ensure safe passage in the strait.
- The initiative is supported by international organizations, including the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and NATO.
Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Minister of Foreign Affairs, assigned Nikorndej Balankura, Ambassador in Paris, to represent Thailand at the virtual meeting on Freedom of Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz on April 17.
The meeting was co-chaired by Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, and Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
More than 50 countries from the Middle East, South Asia, the Indo-Pacific and the European Union took part, along with two international organisations: the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
The meeting reflected the common position of participating countries in supporting the ceasefire agreement and a sustainable resolution to the conflict through diplomatic means, while backing freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz without restrictions.
It also underscored the need to respect international law in all circumstances, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and expressed a commitment to jointly address the economic impact, food security, energy security, fertiliser supplies, free trade and the shipping industry.
The meeting also called on international organisations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to adopt measures to assist low-income countries.
The meeting stressed the importance of guaranteeing the safety of more than 20,000 seafarers and over 2,000 stranded commercial vessels, as well as preparing for the establishment of a multinational fleet for a defensive mission to protect merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz and conduct mine-clearance operations.
