(Title Image: Senedd Cymru)
- Four action plans in soft power, regional relationships, Africa and the Welsh diaspora developed for the international strategy.
- Leader of the Opposition calls for evidence on what international policies have achieved to date and continued UK lead on international development.
- First Minister hopes to sign up 500,000 members of the Welsh diaspora to promote Wales globally by 2025.
Brexit means “working harder to sustain Wales’ international profile”
Having taken on direct responsibility for international affairs in the last few weeks, the First Minister said nobody could have predicted what would happen a few weeks after the final international strategy was published in January 2020.
Four action plans arising from the strategy have now been developed focusing on soft power, regional relationships, Wales and Africa (particularly a reforestation programme in Uganda) as well as the Welsh diaspora.
Regional/sub-nation state relationships will be prioritised with Quebec, the Basque Country and Flanders. Additionally, there’s an online celebration of Diwali (for the first time) this year with events in Wales and India, as well as plans for a series of events promoting Wales in Germany during 2021. Virtual trade missions have been held in Qatar, Singapore and Japan.
One of the more ambitious proposals is to sign up 500,000 members of the Welsh diaspora to promote Wales globally by 2025.
Show us the money
Leader of the Opposition, Paul Davies MS (Con, Preseli Pembs.), asked the First Minister to provide hard evidence that the Welsh Government’s international programmes were delivering results. Also, given that Brexit will affect the UK as a whole, it was more important than ever for the Welsh Government to work with the UK Foreign Office.
“….the First Minister knows it’s my view that whereas some Government departments rightly have to consider international trends….the overarching strategy for international development should continue to lie with the UK Government, with collaboration from the Welsh Government….I hope that the First Minister will continue to advocate that working with governments across the UK, under a joint structure, delivers the best possible outcomes for the people of Wales.”
– Leader of the Opposition, Paul Davies MS
Dr Dai Lloyd MS (Plaid, South Wales West) believed the diaspora was an underutilised asset, particularly with regards to the United States where an estimated 2million of Welsh descent live and St David’s Day is still celebrated in some parts. The trick was “turning romantic history into increased trade”.
Mick Antoniw MS (Lab, Pontypridd) hoped Wales would maintain links with the EU’s Committee of the Regions. There were also important Welsh figures like Captain Archibald Dickson (Alicante) and Gareth Jones (Ukraine) who are venerated abroad but barely known here.
Mandy Jones MS (Ind, North Wales) supported the resurrection of a WDA-style branding and called for as much to be made as possible of Wales’ sporting success – with Elfyn Evans very close to winning the World Rally Championship.
