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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
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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
27th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Flood
The last two winters in Minsk can’t be more different. Last year, we had snow on the ground continuously for five months. In the middle of March we even had a blizzard, метель in Russian, although I think it was called буря – storm – at the time. This year, I’ve learnt the Belarusian phrase […]
27th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Inspiring step towards empowering Turks and Caicos Islanders
Over 100 children in their last two years at school had a Friday of a different sort in the Turks and Caicos Islands recently. Instead of the normal classroom routines they were invited to a 5 Star Resort on TCI’s Grace Bay for lunch, and an opportunity to hear Sanya Richards-Ross, one of the world’s […]
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27th February 2014 London, UK
Turkey, hello again!
Let me introduce myself. I am Richard Moore and I am the new British Ambassador to Turkey. Let me explain why it is my dream job! I feel fantastically pleased and honoured to be here. Turkey has a very special place in my heart. I arrived here the first time in 1990 as a young […]
26th February 2014 Sana’a, Yemen
(UNSCR2140) UNITED WE STAND: YEMEN AND THE WORLD
On Wednesday 26 February, the United Nations Security Council in New York adopted a new Resolution on Yemen, UNSCR 2140. In its unanimous adoption of this resolution, the Security Council delivered five clear messages: Firstly, that the international community continues to focus on Yemen and wants to support the Yemeni people towards a more stable […]
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26th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Chelsea – and Galatasaray – and Football – are GREAT
What is more exciting than football? The answer, if you are a fan of any of Istanbul’s great clubs is: nothing. As the famous Liverpool football manager, Bill Shankly, once said: “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is […]
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26th February 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria
Living in the British Ambassador’s Residence in Sofia
by Jonathan Allen Ambassador Jonathan Allen and his family are the current, temporary tenants of the British Residence in Sofia. The Residence has been their home since February 2012 (December 2013 for their young son). Ambassador Allen has many stories about the Residence and filling it with life; its calmness, the different perspective and the sense […]
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26th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Consistory: Global and Local
If anyone doubts the global nature of the Roman Catholic Church, they had only to attend the Consistory on 22 and 23 February, when Pope Francis created 19 new Cardinals from the senior bishops around the world. The 16 ‘working’ Cardinals in Pope Francis’s first list now take their part amongst the 120 or so […]
25th February 2014 Jerusalem, Israel
Notice to readers
Dr Alastair McPhail CMG OBE was appointed Her Majesty’s British Consul General to Jerusalem in January 2014. We are currently updating these pages where he will soon begin blogging about his new post. Please keep an eye out for his first blog.
25th February 2014 London, UK
Economic reform in the Western Balkans
The Prime Ministers of all seven Western Balkan nations were in London yesterday seeking closer economic ties with countries across the EU. Speaking at a forum at the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) for investment in the Western Balkans, Ken Clarke encouraged the PMs to put in place the necessary reforms to encourage […]
25th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Remembering the Holocaust
The usual approach of a blogger or commentator to a historical event is to look for modern-day comparisons; to use the event to support a link to a trend of interest or concern. But this approach cannot be adopted on the Holocaust. Because of its horrors, because of its sheer scale, there can be no […]