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<p>The UK’s bilateral relations with Cuba cover a broad range of foreign policy subjects
including climate change, counter narcotics, trade and human rights. We continue to
engage with the Cuban government to strengthen bilateral relations and promote reform.
This includes support for recent economic changes such as a new foreign investment
law, and by raising human rights concerns where appropriate.</p><p>The UK and the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have had formal bilateral relations since
December 2000. Since then, the UK has concentrated on two main foreign policy areas:
counter-proliferation and human rights. Our policy of “critical engagement” is intended
to promote incremental change: it allows us directly to communicate issues of substantial
concern, and focuses on exposing people in North Korea to international values and
the benefits of engaging with the international community. Our Embassy in Pyongyang
helps to improve our understanding of what is happening inside the country, as well
as providing support for small-scale projects aimed at improving the lives of the
most vulnerable in DPRK society.</p><p>The UK and Venezuela have a constructive and
practical relationship and engage in cooperation in areas of mutual interest: our
counternarcotics cooperation is vital in tackling illegal drugs trafficking; we are
engaging closely ahead of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations;
and our trade links support economic development in both countries, particularly in
the oil sector. We have been following the political situation in Venezuela closely
and were deeply saddened by the deaths that occurred in protests earlier this year.
The British Government called on all sides to reduce tension and take steps to promote
political reconciliation through genuine dialogue.</p><p>The UK has endeavoured over
the past 23 years to build a constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with
Russia, to support its integration into the international community and international
rules-based system. By its illegal annexation of Crimea, and its aggressive destabilisation
of south eastern Ukraine, the Russian leadership has rejected that offer of partnership
and instead chosen a path of confrontation. We deeply regret this. Moscow needs to
understand that military aggression, destabilisation of a sovereign neighbour, and
flouting of international commitments have serious consequences. So whilst we need
to maintain a relationship with Russia that enables dialogue and ongoing co-operation
on high priority global issues, it cannot be business-as-usual. The UK hopes that
the Russian leadership will take the necessary steps to help secure a lasting peace
in eastern Ukraine that restores respect for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial
integrity and enables Russia to return to a constructive relationship with the rest
of the world.</p><p>Following the attack on our Embassy in Iran on 29 November 2011,
diplomatic relations with Iran were reduced to their lowest level possible, but were
not completely severed. Over the past year, we have been seeking to improve UK/Iran
relations on a step-by-step and reciprocal basis. Most recently, My right hon. Friend
the Prime Minister met President Rouhani on 24 September in the margins of the UN
General Assembly - the first such meeting since the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Both
agreed that there had been significant differences between our countries in the past,
and that we should seek to progressively improve our bilateral relationship.</p><p>
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