Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

9th November 2015

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by Keith Allan

British High Commissioner to Mauritius

Visit to Pskov: People to People Contact in Difficult Times

The city of Pskov, which lies some 300kms south of St Petersburg, lost nine of its citizens when the Russian aircraft crashed in Egypt on 31 October. The flight had taken off from Sharm el-Sheikh earlier that morning en route to St Petersburg. All 224 passengers and crew on board the flight were killed. This […]

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6th November 2015 San Francisco, USA

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by Stefania Di Mauro-Nava

Science & Innovation Officer

BLOG: The Next Biological Frontier- SynBio

Uncovering DNA as the building block for life was a long journey, which flourished with the discovery of the double helix by the English-American team of Francis Crick and James Watson (based on the work of Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins). Since then, scientists and researchers have been exploring DNA’s role in the development of […]

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6th November 2015 Madrid, Spain

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by Daniel Pruce

British Ambassador to the Philippines and to Palau

The UK’s commitment to Business and Human Rights

On 4 November I had the pleasure of speaking in Bilbao about the importance of Business and Human Rights at the III Conference on “Gestión responsable en Derechos Humanos por parte de las empresas” which was organised by Sonrisas de Bombay, Business and Human Rights, The Rights Factory and Deusto Business School. The UK Government’s […]

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6th November 2015

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by Greg Dorey

Diplomat

Ethiopia – a huge opportunity for UK investment

Two weeks ago all UK eyes were on China’s State visit to the UK. But the Chinese weren’t the only ones in town building commercial ties. It was also a week for Ethiopia in London, with a number of events where Ethiopia showcased their recent economic success and future potential. I joined Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister […]

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5th November 2015 London, UK

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by Phil Buckley

Digital Transformation Manager

Emergency travel documents: the new digital application system

You can now apply online for an emergency travel document

One of the biggest and most important transactions run by the Foreign Office is emergency travel documents. An emergency travel document will get you home if you are abroad and your passport is unavailable for one reason or another. Earlier in the casebook we saw why people would need an emergency travel document, what the current […]

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5th November 2015

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

A Match Made In Heaven? Turkish Airlines and VisitBritain

Take a top global airline. Add a top national tourist board. Result: an innovative global marketing partnership to attract more international visitors to Britain. On 20 October, VisitBritain and Turkish Airlines announced a new partnership. The partnership will focus at the UK end on Turkish Airline’s five regional gateways – including Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh […]

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4th November 2015 Asuncion, Paraguay

Jeremy Hobbs British Ambassador to Paraguay

by Jeremy Hobbs

Former British Ambassador to Paraguay

UK Universities Fair was a GREAT success

The first ever UK universities fair in Paraguay took place in Asunción on 9-10 October at two prestigious venues: the Central Bank and the Colegio Americano (ASA).  It was a GREAT success. 15 UK universities signed up, double the number initially expected. The universities were overwhelmed by the high turnout and impressed by the quality […]

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4th November 2015

Sian MacLeod

by Sian MacLeod

Former UK Ambassador to Serbia

Frozen? Avoiding Another Protracted Conflict in the Post-Soviet Space

That media headlines are focused elsewhere, particularly Syria, makes it all the more important not to lose sight of the conflict on our own threshold in eastern Ukraine. The reduction in violence and destruction in the Donbas is welcome, giving a chance to restore services and make the region safer for the people who live […]

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4th November 2015 Tripoli, Libya

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by Nicholas Hopton

Head of UK Embassy to Libya

 وأنا أغادر قطر …

مع انتهاء فترة عملي كسفير للمملكة المتحدة لدى دولة قطر، يُسعدني اليوم أن أعرب عن مدى اعتزازي بالصداقة التاريخية القائمة بين دولتينا. صداقة أقوى حاليا من أي وقت مضى، وستكون بعد أكثر متانة في السنوات المقبلة. العلاقة بين قطر والمملكة المتحدة هو تجسيد للشراكة بمعناها الحقيقي، فهي تغطي مجالات التعاون كافة كالدفاع والسياسة الخارجية والثقافة […]

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4th November 2015 London, UK

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by Phil Buckley

Digital Transformation Manager

Emergency travel documents: Tom has more problems with his passport

Tom drinks to business success: 'here's to driving synergies through vertical integration'

One of the biggest and most important transactions run by the Foreign Office is emergency travel documents. An emergency travel document will get you home if you are abroad and your passport is unavailable for one reason or another. Earlier we saw why people would need an emergency travel document, and what the current emergency […]

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