GETTING a “grip” on Britain’s military operations in Afghanistan is the top priority for William Hague, the country’s new Foreign Secretary.
Arriving for his first day’s work at the Foreign Office, the Richmond MP said: “We are all concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and indeed one of the first things I will do when I go through this door is have a briefing on Afghanistan.
“Our new national security council will meet later today.
“It is our most urgent priority here in my work to make sure we have a grip on what is going on in Afghanistan.
“That will consume a lot of our time and energy and effort.
“We have been fighting some political battles here, but they are in a real battle out there.”
Mr Hague said he was confident the newly-formed coalition with the Liberal Democrats could survive the two parties’ contrasting approaches to the European Union.
It was “not difficult” in negotiations to secure agreement of a policy of opposing any further transfer of powers and ruling out joining the single currency, he said.
The Government would pursue an “active and activist”
policy towards Brussels, he added.
Mr Hague said the Government wanted a “solid but not slavish relationship” with the United States.
His first visit will be to the US at the end of this week, at the invitation of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“No doubt we will not agree on everything,” Mr Hague said.
“But America remains, in intelligence matters, in nuclear matters, in international diplomacy, in what we are doing in Afghanistan, the indispensable partner of this country.”
Mr Hague said he would also make renewed efforts to secure good relations with “countries that are where the economic action is in the world” – in South Asia, North America and Latin America.
The coalition Cabinet
Here is the full list of the new Cabinet:
Prime Minister: David Cameron
Deputy Prime Minister: Nick Clegg
Foreign Secretary: William Hague
Chancellor: George Osborne
Justice Secretary: Kenneth Clarke
Home Secretary: Theresa May
Defence Secretary: Liam Fox
Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary: Vince Cable
Work and Pensions Secretary: Iain Duncan Smith
Energy and Climate Change Secretary: Chris Huhne
Health Secretary: Andrew Lansley
Education Secretary: Michael Gove
Communities and Local Government Secretary: Eric Pickles
Transport Secretary: Philip Hammond
Environment Food and Rural Affairs Secretary: Caroline Spelman
International Development Secretary: Andrew Mitchell
Northern Ireland Secretary: Owen Paterson
Scottish Secretary: Danny Alexander
Welsh Secretary: Cheryl Gillan
Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Secretary: Jeremy Hunt
Chief Secretary to the Treasury: David Laws
Leader of the House of Lords: Lord Strathclyde
Minister without Portfolio: Baroness Warsi
Also attending Cabinet: Minister for the Cabinet Office, Paymaster General: Francis Maude; Minister of State, Cabinet Office: Oliver Letwin; Minister of State (Universities and Science, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: David Willetts; Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Privy Seal: Sir George Young; Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip: Patrick McLoughlin; Attorney General: Dominic Grieve
Privy Council: George Osborne, Liam Fox, Vince Cable, Eric Pickles, Jeremy Hunt, Chris Huhne, Michael Gove, Caroline Spelman, Andrew Lansley, Andrew Mitchell, Danny Alexander, David Laws, Philip Hammond, Dominic Grieve, Owen Paterson, Cheryl Gillan, Baroness Warsi.
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