This is Minister Rutley's first visit to the country, and is part of a Central American tour that also includes Guatemala and Honduras. A Member of Parliament (MP) since 2010, he was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) in October 2022.
His visit will focus on further strengthening the El Salvador-UK relationship and seeing for himself the progress the country is making and the challenges it faces. His programme includes meetings with senior representatives of the Government of El Salvador, politicians from a range of parties, civil society organisations, journalists and business leaders, as well as the Secretary General of the Central America Integration System (SICA), Werner Vargas.
He will also visit the Montecristo National Park, in the El Trifinio Biosphere Reserve. The UK's new Biodiverse Landscapes Fund will shortly begin a seven year programme in El Trifinio to support sustainable development and strengthen biodiversity.
