Starmer and Macron unite to protect global shipping as Hormuz crisis threatens energy lifeline
International leaders will convene in Paris on Friday with the aim of developing a plan to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for shipping after the Middle East conflict concludes.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron will co-host the summit.
A Downing Street spokesperson stated: “The summit will further the development of a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to protect international shipping once the conflict is over.”
Sir Keir informed MPs on Monday that the UK-French initiative would involve “military planning to ensure the security of shipping” in addition to diplomatic efforts.
Mr. Macron previously mentioned that the countries involved in the initiative would work on a “strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict,” which “is intended to be deployed as soon as conditions allow.”
He said the summit would bring together countries “ready to collaborate with us” on the “peaceful multinational mission.”
In Westminster, a new Cabinet committee has been established to manage the consequences of the Iran conflict.
The Middle East Response Committee had its first meeting on Tuesday to address the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route for global oil and gas supplies.
The Prime Minister established the committee to handle the domestic and international impacts of the conflict, which has increased energy prices, caused stock market instability, and revealed significant divisions between the US and its traditional European allies.
No 10 insiders compared the new panel to the committees set up under Tory prime ministers to manage Brexit preparations and the Covid-19 pandemic.
A source stated the “new central structure” would focus on “medium-term scenario planning to respond to developments in the region over the coming weeks and months.”
In addition to the ministerial committee, whose full membership has not yet been disclosed, senior officials will meet under the leadership of Cabinet Secretary Dame Antonia Romeo.
The new structure is viewed as an acknowledgment that the situation will continue to impact the UK for some time. However, meetings of the emergency Cobra committee will still be held to address immediate crises.
The focus of the first meeting on the Strait of Hormuz follows Donald Trump’s announcement of a blockade of Iranian ports and as the UK and France prepare to host a summit to explore options for securing the shipping route after hostilities end.
Oil prices fell back below 100 US dollars a barrel in Tuesday morning trading amid hopes that US-Iran talks might resume and that an agreement could be achieved regarding the critical Strait of Hormuz shipping route.
Brent crude edged 1% lower to 98.3 dollars a barrel after rising on Monday.
Stock markets also increased, with the FTSE 100 Index in London gaining slightly, up 0.2% at 10598.1, and the Dax in Germany and France’s Cac 40 both rising by around 1% following solid overnight gains in the US and Asia.
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