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Britain is not a nation that can ever have a foreign policy without a conscience, William Hague has told MPs.
Appearing before the Commons foreign affairs committee this afternoon the foreign secretary sought to reassure MPs that upcoming spending cuts would not cripple the Foreign Office's ability to protect British interests overseas or place a high value on human rights.
Human rights campaigners have raised concerns that the coalition's focus on the Foreign Office as a vehicle to promote British industry would detract from the need to promote human rights abroad.
Hague told the committee that he intended to give a speech next week on how to "reconcile idealism and realism" in foreign policy.
"Britain is not a nation that can ever have a foreign policy without a conscience," he said. "It is part of our identity".
"We will always be true to those values, and yes we stress the action the Foreign Office must take to improve the security of the nation and advance the prosperity of the nation.
"But unless we do those things we are in no position to advance human rights."
He added: "I argue as it becomes harder to impose our values on other countries we have to be a particularly good example of our values to other countries.
Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell pressed Hague on the future on the BBC World Service in light of reports that the operation's Burma office faces the axe.
"The BBC and the World Service understands it has to be more prudent and it has to run a tighter ship," he said. "But there is some anxiety what the consequences will be."
He asked Hague: "What do you think the consequence will be for [Britain's] global reach if the World Service were to find itself subject to very substantial reductions?"
The foreign secretary told Campbell that the BBC World Service and the British Council were "fundamentally important" to Britain's presence in the world.
"They are a very, very important part of Britain's presence in the world, of our soft influence as it is sometimes described, or 'smart power' as the Americans might describe it."
And while he said the upcoming spending review would "undoubtedly" affect the world service, he said no decisions had been taken.
"I do stress, no decisions have been made about this, I will shortly be putting to the World Service what I think they could achieve," he said.
And he rubbished reports that he was looking to axe the service's Burma office.
"I read that the Burma office is to be closed," he said. "Well there is no Burma office of the World Service."
He added: "There is a service is broadcast into Burma, but that doesn’t cost very much."
"The BBC World Service will remain a fundamental part of this country's presence in the world."
The Foreign Office had come under fire for plans to scrap it's annual report on human rights.
But Hague said his ministry would still be producing a report, but suggested it would take the form of a command paper laid before Parliament rather than the glossy book produced under the previous government in order do it "most cost effectively".
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