17th July 2025
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
15th July 2025
International Day of Women in Diplomacy: UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls visit to Geneva
1st May 2025
The UN Commission on the Status of Women: My first visit as UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls
9th June 2015 Asuncion, 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 […]
9th June 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
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 […]
9th June 2015 Asuncion, 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 […]
9th June 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
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
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
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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8th June 2015 Jerusalem, Israel
Let us look for hope after 48 years…
Forty-eight years ago this week, the Middle East was engulfed in war. This war, known as the 1967 war or the Six Day War, changed the shape of the region. And it dramatically changed the lives of many living here. I have met Palestinians in the cities and refugee camps of the region and have […]
5th June 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
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
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
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 […]
5th June 2015 Beirut, Lebanon
TECH, TALENT, A BROKEN TREADMILL (AND MAJOR TOM)
Last month, we launched the UK Lebanon Tech Hub. You can see a clip of a drone delivering my speech – for the first and last time, I can suggest that Enrique Iglesias take note. I normally try to write speeches while running. Jogging with bodyguards makes me look like the poor man’s slow Madonna, […]
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5th June 2015
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Helping Christians in Iraq
One of the benefits of being accredited to the Holy See is the possibility of listening and speaking to people from across the global Catholic Church who visit Rome to do business at the Vatican. This is useful for the UK, because I can often glean information not available elsewhere in our foreign policy network, […]