The UK's engagement with the Pacific Alliance: Lords to take evidence
The House of Lords International Relations Committee will hear from Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Trade officials on Wednesday 8 May, to discuss the Pacific Alliance.
The Committee is holding several evidence sessions exploring the effectiveness of the Pacific Alliance, and the UK's engagement with it. The Committee will produce a short report on the UK and the Pacific Alliance, following these sessions.
The Pacific Alliance is a Latin American economic grouping, formed by Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, which all border the Pacific Ocean. These countries have come together to form an area of integration with the purpose of ensuring complete freedom in the movement of goods, services, capital, and people. The UK is an observer to the Pacific Alliance.
Appearing at 10.40am in Committee Room 3 will be:
- Hugo Shorter, Director, Americas, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- Chris Barton, Director, Multilateral and EU Negotiations Directorate, and Interim Director, Geographic Trade Policy, Department for International Trade
Questions are likely to include:
- How significant is the Pacific Alliance to the UK's engagement in Central and South America?
- What additional resources are being allocated to strengthen the UK's relationship with the Pacific Alliance and its members, particularly in the context of the UK's departure from the European Union?
- Is the Government making the best use of its soft power capabilities, particularly the British Council and higher education and scholarships, in its relationships with the Pacific Alliance countries?
- What assessment has the Government made of the growing role and influence of China in the region, and its implications for the UK's political and economic ties with the countries of the Pacific Alliance?
