Leigh Turner
Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna
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UK in Austria
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17th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Ukraine and the European Union made good progress in October during the latest round of negotiations on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA). Another round is due in December: both sides are hoping it will go equally well, with a view to concluding the DCFTA possibly as early as mid-2011. Conclusion of a […]
Read more on Should Ukraine protect Horilka as intellectual property? | Reply
16th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
How does the life expectancy of the average Ukrainian compare with the world average – or that of any other country? To find out, check out this brilliant World Bank web-site. All you have to do is to click on “world” or on the country of your choice in the list on the left-hand side […]
Read more on Boosting Ukrainian healthcare | Reply
15th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I often host events in Kyiv highlighting and promoting the growing number of young Ukrainians who are obtaining top quality academic degrees through studying in UK universities or through distance programmes, including MBAs which are delivered through UK-Ukrainian partnerships. But we recently hosted a British Council event designed to promote the equally important area of […]
Read more on Boosting skills for employability in Ukraine | Reply
12th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The British and Canadian embassies in Kyiv organised a short ceremony at the Park of Glory on 11 November to mark Remembrance Day. There was a good turnout. The ceremony, which included prayers, poems, the Act of Remembrance, the Last Post, a two minute silence and the laying of wreaths, took place under a clear […]
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11th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I was recently privileged to attend the Champions League match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Arsenal at the splendid Donbass Arena in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. As with all Champions League and Europa League matches in Ukraine, the embassy put in place consular arrangements including a small team travelling from Kyiv to Donetsk. Representatives of the Metropolitan Police also came […]
Read more on Dynamism in Donetsk | Reply
11th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
When I first arrived in Moscow on my posting to Russia in December 1992 I had a terrific view from my 13th-floor window of a sea of apartment blocks, beyond which a blood-red sun sank towards the dark horizon sometime in mid-afternoon. As darkness fell, I was astonished to see that almost every single light […]
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10th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Several Ukrainian friends have asked me recently why I am wearing a small, red flower – a poppy – on my jacket lapel. It’s because the United Kingdom together with other Commonwealth nations will commemorate Remembrance Day on November 11th. The poppy is the symbol of this day. The practice of wearing a flower dates […]
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29th October 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
People in Kyiv love fishing. Whether in the summer, with blow-up boats dotting the Dnieper or in the winter with stoic mummified forms monitoring blow-holes in the frozen river, fishermen (sic) are everywhere. It’s no surprise, then, to find that British companies producing fishing gear are making a big impact in Ukraine. When I visit […]
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28th October 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Як Велика Британія може захистити свою безпеку? Чому безпека Великої Британії має значення для Україні і навпаки? Для відповіді на ці запитання у Посольстві Великої Британії в Україні 22 жовтня було організовано круглий стіл з ключовими українськими експертами у галузі безпеки. Серед учасників: представники Адміністрації Президента, Міністерства оборони, Міністерства закордонних справ, Ради національної безпеки та […]
Read more on Чому безпека України важлива для Великої Британії | Reply
25th October 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Незадовго до свого приїзду до Києва один мій обізнаний друг дав мені книжку «Смерть і пінгвін» українського письменника Андрія Куркова. Вона захоплююча, хоча й не обов’язково є точним довідником про стан справ у сьогоднішній Україні. Коли я приїхав до України, я дізнався, що мої попередники презентували англійські переклади кількох романів пана Куркова у резиденції. Цього […]
Read more on Київська культура: кращі гітаристи та письменники | Reply