Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

3rd December 2024

Enthronement of the first Serbian Bishop in London

Belgrade, Serbia

RENEWING OLD TIES: THE NEW BISHOP OF LONDON

by Edward Ferguson

British Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia

25th November 2024

Canberra, Australia

The climate crisis and gender-based violence

by Vicki Treadell

British High Commissioner to Australia

8th November 2024

Berlin, Germany

Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?

by Kate Robinson

Science and Innovation Advisor, British Embassy Berlin

21st October 2014 Athens, Greece

by John Kittmer

Former UK ambassador to the Hellenic Republic

“We are all citizens” – Promoting civil society in Greece

I found myself on Crete two weeks ago. It’s always a pleasure to be on the Great Island. Cretan hospitality, the landscape, the beaches, the cuisine, the archaeology, the local grappa, the great cities…what’s not to like? I had spent an unforgettable week there on leave in July – not far from Kissamos, in the […]

21st October 2014 Yaounde, Cameroon

by Brian Olley

British High Commissioner, Cameroon

Want to Study at the Best Universities in UK ?

Little known fact – we pay for students from around the world to go to the United Kingdom to study for a Masters degree. We pay for the flights, for the flat to live in, for the food to eat while you are there, for the cost of the tuition fees, and even give you […]

21st October 2014

by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

This post was published when the author was in a previous role

WW1 Galleries at the Imperial War Museum

The new £40m WW1 galleries at the Imperial War Museum in London are absolutely spectacular. I was fortunate to be given a private tour during my visit to London last week, when I met IWM Director Diane Lees and discussed the museum’s plans to send a WW1 exhibition to Melbourne next year. The path through […]

21st October 2014 Bucharest, Romania

by Raluca Bragarea

Head of Communications, Bucharest

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising – Great Britain’s success adapted to Romanian reality

A fundraiser must have some special DNA to be able to steer the (financial) beast in the eye. Have learnt some best practice from Andrei Chirtoc, a gentle man with loads of practice working for the charitable sector. His story has crossed paths with the UK more than once. Here it is! Peer-to-Peer fundraising is […]

20th October 2014 Havana, Cuba

by Tim Cole

Former British Ambassador to Cuba

Britain through Cuban eyes

I’m still smiling. We’ve just come to the end of ten very successful days of British culture in Havana; ten days of British music, history, theatre, science, film and dance. There were events throughout the city, at all times of day and night and for a range of audiences, including kids. We explored the breadth […]

20th October 2014 Paris, France

by Peter Ricketts

Ambassador to France from February 2012 to January 2016.

Happy birthday to the Hôtel de Charost!

British Ambassador's Residence - Entrance hall

Two hundred years ago this week, the British Government paid Pauline Borghese 800,000 Francs for this wonderful house behind me, the Hôtel de Charost. And it has been the British Ambassadors’ Residence ever since then.

20th October 2014 Yerevan, Armenia

by Katherine Leach

Good example of UK-Armenia collaboration in Healthcare

I really enjoyed my visit on Saturday to Armenak & Ann Tadevossian’s medical centre in Kosh, a great example of a UK diaspora project. This is a newly-built, well-equipped polyclinic which, thanks to the generosity of diaspora and local business donors, runs rehabilitation services for children with disabilities during the week, and offers specialist appointments […]

20th October 2014 London, UK

by Richard Moore

FCO Political Director

Need for a large-scale and inclusive fight against ISIL

On 26 September 2014, the British Parliament voted in favour of British military strikes in Iraq targeted at ISIL. This decision followed a request to the UN Security Council by the Government of Iraq for support in confronting the ISIL menace. This means that we and other states have a clear basis in international law […]

20th October 2014 Dublin, Ireland

by Robin Barnett

Former Ambassador to Ireland, Dublin

Cambridge and Warsaw Universities come together to foster innovation

Our Innovation is GREAT campaign is a top priority for both our team and for our Embassy colleagues across the Central Europe region. So I was delighted to attend a press conference in our Embassy on 20 October, where an innovation partnership between the University of Cambridge and the University of Warsaw was announced by […]

18th October 2014 Skopje, North Macedonia

by UK in North Macedonia

Journey into emotional territory – IHRA’s visit to Macedonia

Just occasionally a diplomat’s work takes us into deeply emotional territory. That happened here this week with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s visit to Skopje. The IHRA (www.holocaustremembrance.com) exists to foster international cooperation to support Holocaust education, remembrance and research. The UK holds the Chair this year. And in that role Sir Andrew Burns (ex-FCO, […]