17th July 2025
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
15th July 2025
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
7th February 2014 Beirut, Lebanon
DIVA DIPLOMACY – ‘ONE LEBANON: UNITED FOR TOMORROW’
Last Saturday, twenty Lebanese stars performed together in a powerful rejection of divisive politics and sectarianism. Pop idols, divas, comedians, sportsmen, rappers and actors put on the best possible display of the real Lebanon – talented, resilient, and proud of their country. It was an extraordinary night. The charismatic Anthony Touma got the largest screams, […]
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6th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Australia is BBC Worldwide’s third largest market
I begin every day by checking the BBC News website – before I’ve even got out of bed – to see what has been happening overnight. Later I catch the BBC World Service, which local broadcaster ABC carries on FM radio at certain times of day. And if you switch on the TV here there’s […]
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6th February 2014 Brasilia, Brazil
David Bowie is… very British – guest blog by Beatriz Correa
During the pre-opening of the “David Bowie is” exhibition for the press, Alex Ellis, British Ambassador to Brazil, began his speech by saying that Bowie is “international, global and ‘very British’”. The ambassador’s words made me think about how Bowie translates perfectly the reasons that make the UK, and the British culture as a whole, […]
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6th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Joining the M’illumino di Meno energy saving campaign!
Welcome to my blog. I’m the British Ambassador to Italy and I’ve decided to start this blog in order to shine a light on what we get up to here in the Embassy. The idea is to write about the United Kingdom and Italy, the issues that join us together and perhaps even one or […]
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6th February 2014 London, UK
Not Poles apart: Britain and Poland’s close relationship
Guest blog by Robin Barnett, Ambassador to Warsaw 31 January was an important day in relations between Britain and Poland, key partners in the EU and NATO. Prime Ministers Cameron and Tusk met at RAF Brize Norton to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. My journey back from Warsaw began badly, with weather at […]
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6th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Putting an end to contraband
Next week in Costa Rica the British Embassies in the Central America region are joining together to host a conference on tackling contraband. Experts and authorities from all over the region (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Belize, Nicaragua and of course, Costa Rica) will meet to discuss this fundamentally cross-border issue. In the conversations I […]
5th February 2014 Montreal, Canada
An electrifying mission to London
It seems that I will be informing you about “smarty” themes, from intelligent garments to smart missions to London, and here’s a tiny hint about my next blog: “Smart visits to Montréal”…stay tuned if you would like to know more! Welcome to new meters and monitors! SIN and UKTI Montreal have partnered with Smart Grids […]
5th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Britain and the Holy See: The Royal Connection
It is great news that The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will meet Pope Francis at the Vatican in April this year. It will be Her Majesty’s fifth visit to the Vatican, and the seventh occasion on which The Queen has met a reigning Pope. Her Majesty of course met Popes John Paul II […]
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5th February 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Geneva II: What Next?
“If we don’t die from bombardment or snipers we will die of hunger or cold.” So said a young man in Homs to the BBC last week. Over 2,000 Syrians have been holed up in the centre of Homs for 600 days. Using “starve or surrender” tactics, the Syrian regime is preventing food, water and […]
5th February 2014 Singapore
An Ocean of Possibilities: Tidal Energy Collaboration in Singapore
This is a guest post by Dr Cameron Johnstone (ESRU, University of Strathclyde), Dr Michael Lochinvar Sim Abundo and Mary Ann Joy Quirapas (ERI@N, Nanyang Technological University) and Mark Anthony from the SIN Southeast Asia. Singapore – Serious about energy With a population of 5.4 million living and moving on a land area just over 700 square kilometres, few […]
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