For the foreseeable future the United Kingdom’s relationship with its 14 overseas territories could get a bit closer.
After two years in the making, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office released a white paper, “The Overseas Territories: Security, Success and Sustainability,” on Thursday. The 128-page policy document, commissioned shortly after the coalition Conservative and Liberal Democrat government came to power in 2010, reiterates the message of greater engagement with the territories that UK officials have been talking about for many months.
“Over that two-year period since the new government’s been in place, Foreign Office ministers have been talking to their counterparts in other government departments and trying to bring them in and recognise that they share responsibility for the relationship with the territories,” Governor Boyd McCleary said in an interview Tuesday.
He added that the UK’s National Security Council formally approved the broader engagement policy last year.
“It’s not just come out of the blue; there’s been a change in tone and a change in nature of engagement by other departments,” Mr. McCleary said.
See the July 5, 2012 edition for full coverage.