Last week I returned from Japan where I had the privilege of representing the UK at the G7 Transport Ministers’ Summit.
I met with my counterparts from six of the world’s largest economies and we discussed our shared priorities such as making transport networks more accessible, promoting sustainable travel (something the UK is paving the way on with our ambitious, innovative Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate), and our collective support for Ukraine, helping it rebuild its transport infrastructure as it battles to defend its freedom and values and, in doing so, ours too.
I also had the chance to ride on one of the world-renowned bullet trains and get a sense of the benefits that high-speed rail will bring to the UK in growing local economies and connecting people with jobs across the country. I then met with key business leaders, who head up Japanese companies who are big investors in Britain, tested out new technologies that stand to revolutionise transport like self-driving cars, and focused on the importance of the British-Japanese relationships that will help grow our economies.
I took the summit as an opportunity to sing the Forest of Dean’s praises on the international stage. I shared with my fellow G7 Transport Ministers news of the fantastic work done by Mabey Bridge on the Lydney Harbour Industrial Estate, working in collaboration with Network Rail to deliver a £10 million package of support which is helping Ukraine repair its war damaged infrastructure. I also told the summit of how Mabey Bridge trained 13 Ukrainian engineers in Lydney who returned to Ukraine and shared that training with their fellow workers.
My work supporting Ukraine continued upon my return to the UK at the Ukraine Recovery Conference last week where I announced a package of support including funding for cutting-edge virtual reality training for seafarers in Ukraine who are unable to train at Ukrainian ports due to Putin’s aggression, and sponsorship for Ukrainians to take on 3-year cadetships in the UK, benefiting from our globally-renowned maritime training to become officers on large vessels like container ships.
This article was first published in The Forester newspaper.