»Wales in the world:
Eluned Morgan, Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language, says Wales must make the most of a new era of international relations after Brexit
OUR unique country, as authentic, robust and resilient as it is, is entering new territory as the UK prepares to leave the EU.
With just days to go and the prospect of a no-deal Brexit increasing daily, we must ensure that Wales is in the best shape to protect our economy with our trading partners around the world.
We are entering a new era of international relations, bringing with it challenges and opportunities in equal measure.
Being the Minister for International Relations and Welsh Language will allow me to strengthen bonds with the friends we already have around the world and seek and build relationships with new countries to exert influence, to develop and deliver new opportunities for Wales. We will never forget, however, that our closest bonds will remain with our closest neighbours in the EU.
In these uncertain times Wales is the most politically stable place to invest in the UK. The Scottish Government continues to pursue independence, Northern Ireland is operating without an elected government and the UK Conservative government is paralysed – incapable of making decisions.
The Welsh Government has offices operating across the world – from Dubai to New York, from China to Mumbai. We have focused our recent expansion on reinforcing our links with the European continent where 60% of our trade in goods is exported. We need to protect these markets if we leave the EU. We also need to acknowledge the long-term global economic shift that is likely to occur towards Asia and we will need to pursue new trade and investment opportunities and promote Wales in the wake of Brexit.
In terms of trade, we exported around £17bn worth of goods from Wales last year, an impressive £0.5bn increase on 2017. There’s no doubt that Brexit will cause problems for us trade-wise – outside as well as inside the EU – but by creating, building and diversifying our trade through smart international relations, we will do everything we can to support Welsh businesses and protect our economy.
International relations is about more than trade – it is about investment, government relations, tourism, culture, education and influence. My Cabinet colleagues are working together to promote our nation and its values, reflecting the kind of country we are – a country that has sustainable development at the heart of our policy-making, a country that is striving to become active global citizens, one of the safest places for women in the world, and a country that considers our future generations.
Creating a platform to exercise this positive influence will become increasingly important to promote Wales across the UK and around the world in the uncertain months and years ahead.
Tourists and visitors spend more than £17m a day in our beautiful country, and who can blame them? Promoting Wales in the world (@ WalesInTheWorld is also my new Twitter handle) to support our tourism sector to continue to grow will directly benefit other areas, such as culture and trade.
Our excellent universities attract students from all over the world, bringing both social and economic value. However, with more than 20,000 international students studying across Wales, their contribution is more than just monetary in value.
We can look at international education in Wales in a similar way we look at trade – we “import” more students than we “export”, both bring knowledge, insight and ability to the countries they arrive from.
In a post-Brexit Wales, this internationalisation of higher education will play an even more important role. The work my Cabinet colleague, Kirsty Williams, is doing to strengthen our higher education links with Vietnam is a good example of how we are working collectively to promote Wales beyond our more conventional borders.
One of our fantastic programmes which has been running for more than a decade is Wales for Africa, a programme which reflects the voluntary effort across Wales and supports people to take action on poverty in Africa through learning and the exchange of skills. Only this week this life-changing programme has seen us donate a fishing vessel to the government in Liberia; the Pride of Wales will help protect the 40,000 Liberians who use dugout canoes to catch fish to feed their families.
Engaging effectively through international relations is now more important than ever. I am therefore developing a new International Strategy, to identify the priorities, image and messages we should be presenting to the world.
This new strategy will recognise the changing nature of the relationship with Europe, while acknowledging that Wales will always remain a European country and the importance of sustaining European business and preserving jobs.
The strategy will also explore our relationship with the rest of the world, identifying new and emerging markets and reflecting the changing economic power shift from West to East.
Wales has been through tough changes in the past and we have shown ourselves to be resilient and inventive. For a small country our people are innovative and creative. We are survivors, with so much to offer the world – our spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, a skilled and dedicated workforce and excellent links with the rest of the UK and Europe, making us arguably the best place in the UK to invest and start up a new business.
Our rich culture and history, breath-taking landscape and reputation for adventure make us a great place to visit, while our award-winning food and drink, sporting achievements and internationally acclaimed research are things we should be fiercely proud of.
But are we doing enough to convince the world of this?
People can have their say on the strategy through an online survey and by visiting the Welsh Government website: https://gov.wales/newsroom/international/2019/190222selling-wales-to-the-world/?lang=en