Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

14th November 2014

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by Martin Harris

British Ambassador to Ukraine

The Baltic Convoys

This week I have been commemorating Remembrance Day in the Russian Arctic port city of Murmansk, destination of the famous Arctic Convoys that ran the gauntlet of German submarines on the northern supply route between Britain and the Soviet Union during the Second World War. I have also been reflecting on a different convoy in […]

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13th November 2014

Paul Brummell, British Ambassador to Romania

by Paul Brummell

Head of Soft Power and External Affairs Department, Communication Directorate

Return to Iasi

It was good to return this month to the university city of Iasi, my home over the summer during my Romanian immersion language training. The focus of the visit was to speak at two very different conferences. At the first, marking the 175th anniversary of the foundation of the Central University Library, I spoke about […]

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13th November 2014 Brasilia, Brazil

Fighting corruption in Brisbane

This weekend, on 15-16 November, heads of government from 19 countries and the EU will meet in Brisbane, Australia for the G20 Leaders’ Summit. This gathering of the ‘Group of 20’, the world’s major developed and emerging economies, took on force after the Global Financial Crisis and is now arguably the most important global forum […]

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13th November 2014 Singapore

Supporting Financial Sector Reform and Integration in ASEAN

This guest blog is the first in a series of four by Peter Mumford, SE Asia Regional Director, Economic & Trade Policy, based at the British High Commission in Singapore. In this series, Peter shares his experience working on economic and trade policy projects in South East Asia, and also his views on where further […]

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12th November 2014 Budapest, Hungary

by Jonathan Knott

Former British ambassador to Hungary, Budapest

Turning Points – The twentieth century through 1914, 1939, 1989 and 2004. Contemporary art exhibition

Guest blog by John Timberlake, exhibiting artist at the Turning Points exhibition opening on Friday, 14 November 2014 in the Hungarian National Gallery. Turning Points is a contemporary art project created together with British Council and other foreign cultural institutes operating in Hungary. Twenty-six artists from sixteen countries from Great Britain to Israel, from Spain […]

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12th November 2014

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

The Catholic Church, the UK and the fight against Ebola

The following is a guest blog by Steve Townsend, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy to the Holy See The Ebola virus spread quickly through Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, with over 13,000 deaths so far. The disease has made the front pages across the globe, provoking concern, offers of assistance, and in […]

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12th November 2014

by Peter Tibber

Ambassador to Colombia

Every girl is born “Saleema”. Let every girl grow “Saleema”

A few days ago I went to an inspirational event. It was the launch of the Saleema Regional Forum. Saleema (which means intact, whole, as created by God) is the Sudanese campaign to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The event was packed with committed, energetic women. Prominent among them were Dr Samira Amin Ahmed, who […]

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