Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

10th June 2015

Paul Brummell, British Ambassador to Romania

by Paul Brummell

Head of Soft Power and External Affairs Department, Communication Directorate

Romanian stories in Britain (III) Sergiu Tuhutiu: ‘Professionals are real ambassadors for Romania’

My adventure in United Kingdom started with a summer piano masterclass. I initially came to London for two weeks and it was enough for me to know that it’s truly the place to be. I was stolen by the cultural diversity and by the variety of professional opportunities. At that time, being more connected with […]

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10th June 2015 Canberra, Australia

Menna Rawlings CMG

by Menna Rawlings

British High Commissioner to Australia

Reflections on remembrance

Before I came to Australia, someone said to me: “You’ll lay a lot of wreaths”. The comment recognised, I think, an Australian paradox that I’ve also noticed now I’m here: how a nation which is so informal and at ease with itself can also be attached to the art of the ceremony and the more […]

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9th June 2015 Asuncion, Paraguay

Jeremy Hobbs British Ambassador to Paraguay

by Jeremy Hobbs

Former British Ambassador to Paraguay

Rugby is GREAT

10 June marks 100 days to go until the start of the Rugby World Cup, which the Embassy duly celebrated in Asunción at a special launch event. The tournament will be held in England and Wales from 18 September to 31 October.  The eighth World Cup will be the most popular, the most televised, the […]

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9th June 2015

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by Edward Ferguson

British Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia

A Magna Carta Moment

Like many things here in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the history of efforts to reform the justice sector is long and complicated. There have been important successes; there have been painful failures. There are many superb and honest judges and prosecutors in BiH, but there are also those who have betrayed the authority and trust that […]

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9th June 2015 Asuncion, Paraguay

Jeremy Hobbs British Ambassador to Paraguay

by Jeremy Hobbs

Former British Ambassador to Paraguay

Rugby is GREAT

El 10 de junio faltarán 100 días para el inicio de la Copa Mundial de Rugby (RWC por sus siglas en inglés). En mayo, la Embajada marcó ese día en un evento de lanzamiento de la copa. El torneo que va desde el 18 de septiembre al 31 de octubre, se celebrará en Inglaterra y Gales. Esta […]

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9th June 2015

Paul Brummell, British Ambassador to Romania

by Paul Brummell

Head of Soft Power and External Affairs Department, Communication Directorate

Romanian stories in Britain (II) Anne-Marie Martin: ‘All roads lead me back to Romania’

My family fled Romania when I was just 6 years old and we eventually settled in Britain in 1972. Separation from beloved family members and loss featured heavily in the hearts and minds of all of us, but I am eternally grateful to the brave action of my family in their quest for a better […]

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8th June 2015

Paul Brummell, British Ambassador to Romania

by Paul Brummell

Head of Soft Power and External Affairs Department, Communication Directorate

Romanian stories in Britain (I) Adrian Pascu Tulbure: ‘Volunteering – bringing benefits to both sides’

Adrian Pascu-Tulbure was born in Piatra Neamţ, moved to the UK in 1991, and joined the UK Civil Service directly after leaving Cambridge University, where he read English Literature. After stints in a Ministerial Private Office and working on UK-EU relations in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, he joined HM Treasury as their Ministerial Speechwriter. […]

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5th June 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

Why learning English is easy and fun

I have the privilege and honour to work as a British diplomat.  That means I spend a lot of time learning foreign languages. Before each of my last five postings (in Vienna, Moscow, Berlin, Kyiv and Istanbul) I spent between four weeks and nine months on intensive language preparations. If you want to understand a […]

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5th June 2015

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

Like a bird

A rewarding part of being a diplomat is celebrating bilateral co-operation.  It’s a joy to see a common interest bringing together people from two countries.  Some of the best examples are from non-state organisations. Last week, I visited one of Belarus’ jewels, the Belavezhskaya Pushcha, some of the most ancient woodland left in Europe.  The […]

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