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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12th April 2018
Vienna, Austria
If you have followed recent discussion over the case of the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury using a military grade nerve agent, you may find interesting the programme “Russia and the West: a new Cold War? Who is responsible?” transmitted on Austrian broadcaster Puls 4 on 11 April. In the programme […]
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9th April 2018
Vienna, Austria
The three liqueur glasses are sub-standard in every way. Each is slightly different from the other. The thickness and shape of the glass curves are irregular. Two are chipped. I treasure them. The three tiny liqueur glasses I bought second-hand in Vienna in 1986 are another #ViennaMemories item rich with history. I have used them […]
Read more on #ViennaMemories #6: three slow glasses | Reply (2)
28th March 2018
Vienna, Austria
As a British diplomat in Austria (I am Second Secretary for Economic and EU issues), I have found one of the most surprising things about Austrian politics is how people feel about trade. Austria’s export ratio (i.e. goods exports as a ratio of GDP) is high – 52%, compared to the High Income Country average […]
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23rd March 2018
Vienna, Austria
What are the greatest treasures in Vienna? What can you see? And what is lost? I was privileged recently to attend a press conference at the Jewish Museum in Vienna at which Victor de Waal and museum Director Danielle Spera announced important news which connects the UK to Austria. The de Waal and Ephrussi families […]
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22nd February 2018
Vienna, Austria
A terrorist organisation tries to buy military technology from Country A. But Country A refuses to sell. What is to stop the organisation from going to Country B and buying there? Welcome to the world of multilateral export control regimes. If you don’t know much about export control regimes, don’t worry: not many people do. […]
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16th February 2018
Vienna, Austria
The room is crammed with over 40 financial services companies. In the next few hours, 27 British Fintech companies and 15 Austrian financial institutions will hold over 120 meetings to explore business opportunities. Why did this event work so well? The UK hosts the world’s strongest Fintech ecosystem, closely followed by California and New York. […]
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1st February 2018
Vienna, Austria
Where did the clock come from? How old is it? I would like to know. My Vienna wall-clock, bought broken at the Naschmarkt flea market in Vienna in 1985, was the inspiration for my #ViennaMemories blogs. I treasure it because: It is old. I do not know its date, but surmise the 1950s. I would […]
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12th January 2018
Vienna, Austria
I recently attended the annual diplomatic reception for ambassadors given by Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen. Result: a minor social media storm. Why? And why was this a good thing? The President’s annual diplomatic reception has taken place for years; someone recently sent me a picture of Kaiser Franz Josef meeting the diplomatic corps […]
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10th January 2018
Vienna, Austria
A corrupt official takes an illegal bribe. Why does matter? And if it does matter, what can we do about it? This isn’t just about morality. Research shows that corruption raises the cost of doing business and reduces economic growth. A 1% reduction in corruption perception scores can raise growth by 0.57% in developed economies […]
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6th December 2017
Vienna, Austria
People often ask me what exactly an Ambassador does. I did a video blog about this earlier this year. As I noted then, I represent the UK and its interests in Austria, including at some of the international institutions based in Vienna; engage in debate around issues of Austrian and UK interest; build relationships; and […]
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