Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna
Part of31st May 2012
The view is astounding. Below, a mighty river winds through a brilliant green landscape. A steep bluff studded with golden domes tumbles down to the shore. Below me are several hundred tonnes of stainless steel. Welcome to one of the world’s great – and least-known – cities. After years of writing blogs about visits to […]
30th May 2012
Can one be an optimist about Ukraine? When I visited the UK recently I was invited to visit the central office of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) in Notting Hill to meet members of the Association and to give a short talk. A couple of people have told me they enjoyed the […]
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28th May 2012
I’m sitting next to a senior diplomat from a respected European country at dinner when conversation turns to the Falkland Islands, known to Spanish speakers as the Malvinas. “A key fact,” I say, “is that the 3,000 people who live in the Islands want to remain British.” “Ah,” says the top diplomat. “But how do […]
25th May 2012
There’s growing excitement in England about the build-up to Euro 2012 in Ukraine. The British Embassy in Kyiv is working hard to ensure that the thousands of England fans we expect to visit during the championships are properly prepared for the visit with a “Know Before You Go” campaign. We’re also working hard to ensure […]
23rd May 2012
21st May marked 100 days to go to the start of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. I’m here at the HQ of the Ukrainian National Paralympics Committee (NPC) in Kyiv for a press conference to mark the event, together with NPC President Valeriy Sushkevych; Simon Minty, a UK specialist on diversity and inclusivity; Sergiy Glushchenko, […]
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18th May 2012
A feast of British art is heading for Kyiv. First up is a major new exhibition of sculptor Anish Kapoor. Kapoor has been one of my favourite artists since I saw his 1991 Turner Prize-winning exhibit at the old Tate Gallery (this was before the Tate Modern opened in 2000). Kapoor also has a work, called […]
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17th May 2012
On the eve of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) I’m delighted to meet in Kyiv old friend Clare Dimyon, a British human rights activist whom I last met in June 2009. At that time, Clare was visiting Ukraine to coincide with the Second National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) conference in […]
16th May 2012
The images are powerful. A woman prisoner displays bruises which she says were caused by mistreatment by prison guards. Allegations by ex-prime minister Yuliya Tymoshenko that she was physically mistreated by prison guards, followed by counter-claims by prison authorities that this never happened, have caused controversy in the rest of Europe. In an intense cycle […]
20th April 2012
I recently wrote a blog in which I welcomed the announcement that Ukraine had written formally to invite OSCE/ODIHR* to send observers to the October 2012 parliamentary elections. I was a bit surprised to see some people interpreting my words as suggesting that the mere presence of the OSCE observers automatically meant the elections would […]
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19th April 2012
The athletes crouch down. The signal is given and, muscles straining, they cover the run in a few seconds. There are 100 of them, aged 10-12. All around, teachers and students roar their support. Welcome to the “EkoNad” school, on the Left Bank of the Dnepr river in Kyiv, for a dramatic celebration marking “100 […]