Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is “essential to ease cost-of-living pressures on British families”, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has said as he headed to Washington to hold talks with his US counterpart Marco Rubio.
Ensuring free passage of shipping through the vital Gulf waterway is among the issues the pair are expected to discuss, as well as the Ukraine war and tackling “the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza”.
Mr Miliband was invited to the US capital by Mr Rubio after their recent first meeting on the sidelines of a foreign ministers’ summit in the Philippines, where the senior Labour politician made his international stage debut in his new role.
The dynamic between the two men will be closely watched given Mr Miliband has in the past been fiercely critical of Donald Trump, branding the US president a racist and a misogynist.
The White House was also reported to be concerned about Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to hand Mr Miliband the Foreign Office brief.
In his previous role as energy secretary, Mr Miliband was a strong champion of net zero and renewables, while Mr Trump is a vocal supporter of fossil fuels, including opening up North Sea oil, and an avowed opponent of “windmills”.
Since taking office, Mr Burnham has signalled a shift in energy policy, earning praise from the Oval Office.
Last month, Washington’s top diplomat in London Warren Stephens said Mr Miliband had been “wrong” in 2016 to call Mr Trump “a racist, misogynistic self-confessed groper” and that “hopefully his views have changed”.
The US ambassador also pledged to work with Mr Miliband in his new role, despite their disagreement on green issues.
Before his talks with Mr Rubio, Mr Miliband said: “The Government is committed to nurturing our strong, enduring and essential alliance with the US.
“I am greatly looking forward to my second meeting with secretary of state Marco Rubio, in which we will discuss the ongoing work to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire, which is essential to ease cost-of-living pressures on British families.”
The strategic sea route, which had been open before the US and Israel launched the war in February, has been a flashpoint in the Middle East conflict and disruption to trade has driven up fuel and food prices.
Mr Miliband added: “We will also discuss how we can continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine against Russia’s war – as well as the importance of addressing the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and working towards a lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis.”
In the face of erratic US support, the Foreign Secretary is set to stress that Ukraine’s security is inseparable from European and transatlantic security and restate the UK’s commitment to stand with Kyiv for as long as it takes.
After the announcement that Mr Miliband will take the UK’s seat on the World Bank board, he will also meet its president Ajay Banga during his visit to discuss development, climate change and strengthening global resilience.
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