Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

6th November 2013 New Delhi, India

From smart grids to zoom cars | UK’s innovative companies visit India

Hello readers! Following from my earlier post on the UK Innovation is GREAT showcase event; here is an update on some of the UK companies that will be speaking at the event. As mentioned in my earlier post, the event is designed to enable R&D intensive businesses in India to hear experiences and network with […]

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6th November 2013

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by Peter Millett

Ambassador to Libya, Tripoli

Jerusalem: Handle with Care

At an exhibition in Jerusalem recently I saw a display of amusing but thought-provoking objects. One was a simple box of safety matches, the kind that you can flip open. The only difference was that the heads of the matches were shaped like the domes, spires and minarets of Jerusalem. The message was clear: this […]

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6th November 2013 Vientiane, Laos

Philip Malone

by Philip Malone

Ambassador to Lao PDR

The UK in Laos: One Year On

On 5 November, the British Embassy celebrates one year since its re-opening by Foreign Secretary William Hague, during his visit to Vientiane for the ASEM Summit. This ended a 27 year absence of a British diplomatic presence in Laos. Since re-opening, we have actively been working to raise the profile of the UK and its […]

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6th November 2013

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

A trip to the Palace

I received my CMG from HM The Queen at Buckingham Palace last week. Amidst all the pomp and circumstance you actually feel more nervous than you might expect, as you await those final few moments before you step forward to have the medal ribbon placed around your neck. For some reason the orchestra struck up […]

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5th November 2013 London, UK

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by David Lidington

Minister for Europe, London

Reflecting on the Balance of Competences

I recently launched the third round of consultations in the Balance of Competences Review, the most extensive analysis of our relationship with the EU ever undertaken. The first six reports were published in July this year, with the next nine due this winter. Marking the launch, I spoke to businesses and civil society organisations about the contribution the reports are making to the wider debate on European reform.

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5th November 2013 Sana’a, Yemen

Jane Marriott, British Ambassador to Yemen

by Jane Marriott

British Ambassador to Yemen

! لينتهِي العنف

يستمر الحوار الوطني اليمني في إحراز التقدم ولقد باشرت الجلسة العمومية أعمالها مرة أخرى بعد أجازة عيد الأضحى. ولا يزال الحوار يواجه تحديات هامة: هذا هو الوقت للوصول إلى اتفاق حيثما أمكن ذلك والانتقال إلى الخطوات التالية. هناك الكثير مما تم إنجازه من أعمال قيّمة في الحوار الوطني في حاجة إلى أن تترجم إلى أفعال […]

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5th November 2013 Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Important Bird Areas

Last weekend a colleague and I joined a trip by the Uzbekistan Society for the Protection of Birds (UzSPB – http://www.uzspb.uz/) to one of the country’s Important Bird Areas (IBAs). The IBAs have been identified as part of an international programme, overseen by BirdLife International, to identify, document and protect a network of sites that […]

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4th November 2013

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Isn’t Knowledge GREAT? Origins of Universe Bring Nobel Prize to UK

Serendipity, “The God Particle” and Turkish-British Collaboration in Science – a guest blog by Dr. Başak Candemir, Science and Innovation Officer, British Consulate-General Istanbul On 8 October, the Nobel Committee awarded the Physics Prize jointly to British scientist Peter Higgs and Belgian scientist Francois Englert. Professor Higgs gave his name to the the “Higgs Boson” or […]

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