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17th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A year to remember
The first few weeks of the year can be slow for many of us, waiting for the busy times to kick in. That’s certainly the theme of a ‘Calendario Brasileiro 2014’ which I see flying around on social media, suggesting we may only have a couple of working months in the year as a whole, […]
17th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Let’s End the Illegal Wildlife Trade
On 13 February the UK hosted governments from across all five Continents to galvanise international action on the illegal wildlife trade – The London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade. Our focus was to improve law enforcement to catch and punish those responsible; support the development of sustainable livelihoods in areas affected by wildlife crime; and […]
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17th February 2014 Islamabad, Pakistan
My first impressions of Pakistan
Let me start by saying that I am honoured and proud to have been appointed as the British High Commissioner to Pakistan. I believe I have got one of the best jobs in the British Diplomatic Service. The country is also close to my heart. I have some very old connections with Pakistan. My grandfather […]
17th February 2014 Mumbai, India
Exploring UK-India partnerships in offshore wind energy
O mighty wind! Whether onshore or offshore, You seldom rescind Whether in Edinburgh or Tuticorin! The UK Science & Innovation Network India recently organised workshops in Ahmedabad (February 03/14) and Chennai (February 06/14), in partnership with Knowledge Economy colleagues, to explore the potential for UK-India partnerships in offshore wind energy. We received tremendous support from […]
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17th February 2014 New Delhi, India
North Pole, South Pole and the Third Pole!
In elementary Geography we are taught that there are two poles on Earth – one in the Arctic and the other in the Antarctic, but that’s not true! Did you know that there is also a Third Pole? The Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is the Earth’s third Pole as it’s the storehouse of the third largest […]
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17th February 2014 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Education UK Exhibition 2014, ‘Where Great Journeys Begin’
Walking around the Education UK Exhibition with my British Council colleagues, there was a real buzz in the air. Hundreds of prospective students were firing questions at representatives from 43 British universities and educational institutions. It’s our flagship education event of the year. A one stop shop to get answers about studying and living in […]
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14th February 2014 Havana, Cuba
Cuba’s new foreign investment law
Cuba’s National Assembly is due to hold an ‘extraordinary session’ in March when a new law on foreign investment will be approved. Investors around the world, including perhaps some in the US given recent debate there, will be interested in seeing what the law says and whether it provides them with a good framework for […]
14th February 2014 Toronto, Canada
Canada-UK Joint Declaration refreshed
The UK’s Foreign Secretary William Hague and Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird met in London ahead of the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, and refreshed the UK-Canada Joint Declaration. We reported on the original Joint Declaration and Joint Innovation Statement in previous posts, and have been working hard over the past couple […]
14th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Spending Review: a hot topic in Italy
Spending Review often seems a very dry and technical subject. But bear with me. It really matters. Hardly a day goes by in Italy without the front pages of the national newspapers or headline news discussing the government’s intention to save €32bn over three years through a Spending Review led by Commissioner Carlo Cottarelli. Soon […]
13th February 2014 Bucharest, Romania
I am volunteer
Today’s guest blogger is one of our former embassy colleagues and a dear friend, Cosmina Grigore, who now volunteers for Little People Romania. This year, the embassy decided to support their campaign to mark the International Day Against Cancer (4 Feb) and the International Childhood Cancer Day (15 Feb). Read Cosmina’s story: I’ve always wanted […]