By IRNA,
London : Britain must have more “global reach and influence” or face decline in a fast-changing world, Foreign Secretary William Hague warned Thursday.
In his first major speech as foreign secretary, Hague said the UK must be much “more clear, focused and effective” in achieving foreign policy goals.
He argued that Britain must build its influence in Europe, by putting more officials in senior posts in Brussels. He also called for stronger links with new economic superpowers such as China, India and Brazil.
Earlier Hague went further than Prime Minister David Cameron in expecting rather than hoping that British troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan within five years.
“I don’t think it’s any great surprise or any great mystery about us saying that by 2015 really we should be in the position where Afghan national security forces will be looking after themselves,” he told BBC Radio Four.
In his speech at the Foreign Office, Hague said the UK’s global influence had waned under 13 years of Labour rule by not taking advantage of new opportunities and the country’s unrivalled links with different parts of the world.
The UK’s relationship with the US was “unbreakable” and remained the most important, but the government also needed to look further afield, respond to changes in economic power around the world and develop strong relationship with emerging powers in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, he said.
His pledge was for a new “distinctly British” foreign policy, reaching out beyond Europe, but he also admitted that most governments around the world, while happy to have good relations with UK, only really listen to it if it is acting as a close partner of the US or part of the wider EU and is economically strong.
“In recent years, Britain’s approach to building relationships with new and emerging powers has been ad hoc and patchy, giving rise to the frequent complaint from such governments that British ministers only get in touch when a crisis arises or a crucial vote is needed,” Hague said.
“This weakens our ability to forge agreement on difficult issues affecting the lives of millions around the world and overlooks the importance of consistency and personal relationships in the conduct of foreign policy.”