Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

8th October 2014 Toronto, Canada

International Astronautical Congress 2014

The Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute hosted the 65th International Astronautical Congress 2014 last week, packing thousands of attendees into the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for one of the world’s premier space events. The UK was very well-represented, with the UK Space Agency staking out a large booth on the exhibition floor and almost 100 […]

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8th October 2014 Hanoi, Vietnam

Giles Lever, UK Ambassador to Vietnam

by Giles Lever

British Ambassador to Vietnam

Good to be back

Hello, and welcome to what I plan to be a regular blog about my work as the British Ambassador to Vietnam. Although I only arrived here at the end of July, I’m not a stranger to Vietnam. I worked here in the 1990s as a young diplomat. When people hear this, their first question is […]

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8th October 2014

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by Edward Ferguson

British Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia

Contemplations of a new arrival in Bosnia and Herzegovina

I arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina in July, and was lucky enough to spend a month improving my language skills in Mostar and in Banja Luka before arriving in Sarajevo to take up my post as the new British Ambassador. I have decided to start a blog in order to share some of my own […]

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8th October 2014

by Peter Tibber

Ambassador to Colombia

DFID Sudan: Trips to the frontline

(Guest blog by colleagues from DFID Sudan) The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) supports programmes which deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance and improve access to basic services for some of Sudan’s most vulnerable people. It also aims to help lay the foundations for a more democratic, peaceful and prosperous future. Visiting the field is essential […]

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8th October 2014 London, UK

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by Richard Moore

FCO Political Director

After the NATO Summit

The UK was extremely proud to host world leaders at the NATO Summit on 4-5 September.  The people of Newport were delighted to welcome the world to Wales to showcase their beautiful country. This was a moment when the UK, Turkey and 26 other NATO Allies could come together and show that we were united. […]

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8th October 2014 Yaounde, Cameroon

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by Brian Olley

British High Commissioner, Cameroon

Cities: threat or answer to our future?

If we can for a moment forget about today, tomorrow or next month’s problems and think about where we are heading in a hundred years, what the cities of Cameroon will look like is a key question. Will the cities of tomorrow become ungovernable, choked by ever increasing numbers of cars, ripe for crime and […]

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7th October 2014

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Contributing to Caritas

Caritas Internationalis (CI) is the official humanitarian and development agency of the global Catholic Church. Created in the 1950s under papal guidance, it was described recently by Pope Francis as “an essential part of the Church”. It now has over 160 member organisations operating in 200 countries and territories around the globe, including CAFOD in […]

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7th October 2014

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

British comedy fits the Bill

Australians and Brits share a very similar sense of humour. The much loved comedian, musician and self-styled hippy Bill Bailey is well known here from his Black Books sitcom and appearances on many panel shows like QI. He came to lunch at my Residence on Saturday before performing a sell-out show in Canberra as part […]

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4th October 2014

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by Greg Dorey

Diplomat

Britain’s Most Frequent Royal Visitor to Ethiopia

Her Royal Highness (HRH) the Princess Royal spent three days in Ethiopia last week – her fourth visit to the country, the first having been in 1974. And once again HRH made a considerable impact, visiting not just Addis Ababa but also projects in Adama and South Sudanese refugees in Gambella. HRH was here primarily […]

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