UK deepens ties with Indonesia and South Korea as Lammy tours Indo-Pacific

The Foreign Secretary will visit Indonesia and South Korea as he looks to deepen ties with Indo-Pacific nations following his trip to China.

David Lammy will launch what the Foreign Office described as a “new chapter” in relations with Indonesia as he attends the inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday.

Mr Subianto, described as a right-wing populist, won the presidential election in February and has previously called for Indonesia to “rebalance” its foreign policy focus from the West to eastern nations such as China and India.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr Lammy said: “Indonesia is a key player in our fight to tackle the climate crisis – and our new governments are working together to build a strategic partnership that delivers green growth, deepens our co-operation on security and ensures a sustainable future for our planet.

“Right across this region, we are working to further unlock growth, trade and green innovation.”

The Foreign Secretary is then expected to visit Seoul and tour the Korean Demilitarised Zone before launching a dialogue on foreign affairs and defence with South Korean ministers.

His visit comes as Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky accused North Korea of sending 10,000 troops to help Russia’s invasion of his country, a move described by Sir Keir Starmer as “an act of desperation”.

Mr Lammy said: “Our South Korean partners have stood side-by-side with us in defence of Ukraine whilst also working to preserve regional stability here on the Korean peninsula.

“It is a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of conflict, with North Korea supporting Russia and prolonging conflict on Europe’s borders whilst their illegal weapons of mass destruction programme threatens regional security.

“That is why it is so important for the UK to engage globally over conflict on our continent and security beyond it.”

While in Opposition, Labour’s foreign policy focus was largely on Europe, seeking to improve the UK’s partnership with the EU and bolster security on the continent following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

But the Indo-Pacific has retained its importance in Government, with Mr Lammy travelling to India in his first weeks in office and visiting China on Friday and Saturday for talks with senior ministers.

The Foreign Office described those talks as “constructive”, while Mr Lammy himself stressed the need for “more diplomacy, not less” when it comes to relations with China.