Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

3rd December 2024 Belgrade, Serbia

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by Edward Ferguson

British Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia

RENEWING OLD TIES: THE NEW BISHOP OF LONDON

Enthronement of the first Serbian Bishop in London

I recently had the honour of accompanying His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije back to the UK.  It was for a special reason.  The Serbian Orthodox Church has created a new diocese of Great Britain and Ireland.  On Sunday 24 November, my friend Bishop kyr Nektarije was enthroned as the first Serbian Bishop of London. The enthronement […]

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17th October 2024 Belgrade, Serbia

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by Edward Ferguson

British Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia

OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA

20. oktobar 1944. godine. Jugoslovenski partizani i vojnici sovjetske Crvene armije probili su se u Beograd, oslobađajući grad od nemačkih snaga koje su ga držale pod okupacijom od aprila 1941. Oslobođenje Beograda bilo je kulminacija višegodišnjeg gerilskog ratovanja na celoj teritoriji Jugoslavije. Niz ofanzivnih operacija partizana tokom meseci koji su prethodili bile su podstaknute činjenicom […]

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11th October 2024 Belgrade, Serbia

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by Edward Ferguson

British Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia

One Year In

­ My family and I arrived in Serbia a year ago, and we feel so lucky to be able to call this beautiful country home. We have travelled a lot.  We have learned a lot.  And everywhere we have gone, we have met amazing people doing amazing things. I see so much potential in this […]

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11th October 2024 Canberra, Australia

Vicki Treadell

Vicki Treadell

British High Commissioner to Australia

International Day of the Girl Child: Enabling Girls to Shape Their Own Futures

Group of women gathered for a photo.

As we celebrate International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October, we are reminded of the extraordinary potential, strength, and resilience of girls around the world. This year’s theme is ‘Girls’ Vision for the Future’—a future driven by the voices of girls themselves. This vision calls for more than just an acknowledgment of the […]

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7th October 2024

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by Anna Loe Nsubuga

UK Ambassador and Permanent Delegate Designate to UNESCO

Celebrating International Geodiversity Day 2024 – a guest blog by Professor David Drewry

Introduction from Anna Nsubuga, UK Ambassador to UNESCO Sunday 6 October is International Geodiversity Day. International Geodiversity Day is a worldwide celebration, bringing people together on each year, to promote the many aspects of geodiversity. Geodiversity is all around you. It is all the parts of nature that aren’t alive; including everything from minerals and […]

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4th October 2024 Canberra, Australia

World Space Week – Celebrating the Partnership between the UK and Australia

Taking place annually from October 4th-10th, World Space Week is celebrated internationally in support of space exploration and technology innovation. In acknowledgement of this event, we reflect on the achievements of the UK and Australia and the collaborative ambition to strengthen both space sectors. Signed in 2021, the United Kingdom and Australia established the UK-Australia […]

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24th September 2024 Madrid

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by Debbi Christophers

Culture and Public Diplomacy Attaché - British Embassy Madrid

CultureCultura: un podcast de la Agregada de Cultura de la Embajada Británica en Madrid

Reino Unido y España a través de la cultura – un podcast de UK in Spain desde Hay Segovia 2024 «España está obsesionada con la cultura británica», «Los escritores británicos no se cansan de la historia española». Dos autores conocedores de ambos países consideran si estas afirmaciones son ciertas. Analizamos de dónde viene esta fascinación […]

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25th July 2024 Geneva, Switzerland

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by Bob Last

Head, UK Mission Political and Human Rights Team

Wearing Thin

Among my blessings in life is having an Irish mother-in law and I’m just back from a post-Council trip where my wife did some digging into her family history.  A good number of her relatives were refugees fleeing persecution in both Eastern and Central Europe from the late 19th Century.  Ireland was where they were […]

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1st July 2024 Kyiv, Ukraine

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by Martin Harris

British Ambassador to Ukraine

Crimea: a place to remember, learn from and return to

Crimea is a special and, in many regards, unique place in Ukraine. It has a distinctive climate, breathtaking views of sea and mountains that can’t be found anywhere else in the country. It has a multi-layered history with a rich heritage stretching from ancient to modern times. This is the context that created an incredibly […]

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17th May 2024 United Kingdom

Lord Herbert of South Downs

by Nick Herbert

PM's Special Envoy on LGBT+ Rights

Reflections on IDAHOBIT: International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia

The world is increasingly polarised on LGBT rights.  There is progress to celebrate, but concern is also growing over a rollback of rights which is accelerating, not just in Africa and the global south, but also in parts of the global north. In the past year, we have seen increased attempts to introduce anti-LGBT legislation […]

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