6. A wnaiff y Prif Weinidog ddatganiad am berthynas Llywodraeth Cymru â llywodraethau rhyngwladol a gweinyddiaethau is-ranbarthol? OAQ51766

Yes. We have relations with many Governments and sub-regional Governments, at many different levels and through different channels, both formal and informal.  

Thank you for that answer, First Minister. At the beginning of the year, Open Doors published its annual world watch list, which is a list of the world's worst persecuting nations for Christians to be living in. And many of the nations that are mentioned on that list are nations that the Welsh Government has relationships with—Pakistan, India, Qatar and Vietnam as examples. Now, clearly, where the Welsh Government has a relationship, it has a dialogue with those Governments and I wonder what action the Welsh Government is taking, or could take, in order to discuss the infringement of article 18 of the universal declaration of human rights for Christians living in those nations where their right to change their religion and their right to practice their religion is not being realised.

I fully support, of course, an individual's right to freedom of conscience. I have raised human rights issues in the past in some countries that I have been to—I've not shied away from that. Of course we take advice from the Foreign Office; it's hugely important, with their network of embassies and their access to intelligence, that we take advice from them, but nobody, of course, could possibly condone a situation where freedom of conscience is not respected.

Some regional Governments, such as Flanders, for example, as Rhun ap Iorwerth pointed out earlier, do have a veto over the final terms of the Brexit agreement that Wales doesn’t currently have. Of course, as the First Minister will be aware, there is a very close historic link between Wales and Flanders. Would the First Minister consider leading a delegation to Flanders to appeal to them, if necessary, to use the powers that they have to assist Wales in our hour of need, as Welsh people did in their thousands a hundred years ago, on their behalf?

Well, I’ve visited Flanders a number of times, of course, and as the Member says, there is an historic connection and it’s also a very sad connection between Wales and Flanders. Well, what’s important for me is that we urge the United Kingdom Government to give us some kind of indication of what their plans are because nobody has a clue at the moment what exactly they wish to see at the end of this process, and we wish to ensure, through the discussions taking place at present, that, first of all, the withdrawal Bill will be amended in a way that is acceptable to Wales and also to Scotland, and also to urge the United Kingdom Government to secure an agreement that would be of benefit to both Wales and, of course, the UK.

What work has the First Minister done since the referendum with international Governments outside the EU to encourage investment into Wales?

Many things. I've been to many countries. The US, of course, is our biggest international investing country, I've been there. I was in Ireland yesterday, and Ireland is in the top five of investing countries in Wales. Of course, we look at markets outside Europe. One of the things I did when I was rural affairs Minister was to get Welsh lamb into Dubai, looking at a new market beyond the traditional southern European market. Nevertheless, we cannot on the one hand say, 'We need to look at new markets,' which we accept, but on the other hand say, 'We have to ignore our most important existing single market, which is Europe.' The two things run together. Let's make sure that we secure our most important market first, and then, of course, make sure that we look for more opportunities elsewhere.