Lords to hear evidence on defence and trade in the Balkans
Defence and trading experts will give evidence to the House of Lords International Relations Committee on Wednesday 1 November as part of its inquiry 'Beyond Brexit: the UK and the Balkans'. Over two evidence sessions the Committee will consider the role of NATO and the UK's trading links with the region.
At 10:30am the Committee will hear from:
- Dr Jonathan Eyal, Associate Director, Strategic Research Partnerships and International Director, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
- Sir Adam Thomson KCMG, Director, European Leadership Network (ELN)
- Mr Angus Lapsley, Director Defence and International Security
At 11:30am the Committee will hear from:
- Jon Mitchell, Business Consultant, Fox Marble
- Mike English, London Southside Chamber of Commerce
Topics that will be covered in the course of the sessions include:
- The extent to which NATO's presence in the region will continue to give the UK influence after Brexit
- The importance to the UK of Western Balkan nations joining NATO
- The extent to which corruption in countries in the region is preventing UK businesses seeking to trade with the region
- Whether there is significant scope for increasing UK trade
- How the UK's trading links might change or be developed after Brexit
The evidence session will begin at 10:30am on Wednesday 1 November in Committee Room 2 of the House of Lords.
