LONDON, December 11. /TASS/. The UK will develop long-term strategies for developing relations with Asian, African and Latin American countries in order to curb the spread of Russia’s influence on these states, according to a statement by Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly made public on Saturday night.
"In the coming decades, an ever greater share of the world economy - and therefore of world power - will be in the hands of nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The UK offer will be tailored to their needs and UK strengths, spanning trade, investment, development, defense, technology and climate change. This will be backed up with a reliable source of infrastructure investment," the British top diplomat said.
"We will show strategic endurance, willing to commit for the long term. I want our foreign policy to be constantly planning for tomorrow, scanning the horizon, looking 10, 15 and 20 years ahead," he added.
The statement noted that Cleverly who took office on September 6, will make his first major speech as Foreign Secretary on December 12, "outlining his vision for the UK to develop new long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships with countries that will be increasingly influential in the future." It is stressed that he is expected to point out the importance of "building future partnerships that will reinforce the principles, rules and global institutions that have fostered an unprecedented period of relative peace and prosperity for more people than at any time in history."
According to the Foreign Office, Cleverly will note the necessity of creating "a credible and reliable alternative to countries like Russia." The statement points out that London is interested in developing relations with countries "with a shared belief in sovereignty and territorial integrity, in free trade".