The
foreign relations of Britain are largely defined by its bipartite role in affairs of global diplomacy.
Britain is both the chief member of the Commonwealth group of Nations as well as a major player in the EU group of nations. Along with the US, with which it shares a very warm diplomatic relationship, it is also a key contributor in the global war against terror.
Because of its rich history and significant geo-politic profile, Britain has always played an important role in international affairs. Britain presently maintains a very warm relationship with all the member nations of the European Union. As far as global issues of concern go, environment and international peace appear to be on the top of the list of priorities for the British administration. Britain's foreign policy is generally governed by the following principles:
- Fighting International crime and enhancing security in the UK
- Fighting against the global specter of terrorism
- Promoting good governance to the Overseas Territories of UK
- Contributing towards enhancing the strength of EU
- Uplifting Democracy
- Contributing meaningfully to the global economy
- Tackling illegal immigration
- Extending support for British nationals who reside abroad
- Fighting poverty and violation of human rights
A significant aspect of Britain's foreign relation is defined by the important role that it plays in the Commonwealth. Britain maintains excellent foreign relations with the Commonwealth nation states. The British Queen is the nominal head of the Commonwealth, which is a grouping of 53 member countries distributed all over the world, which are either former British territories or still continue to be so. Britain deals with all the member countries on an individual basis, and directly contributes to the development of these states.
