Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

28th March 2013 USA

The geeks are winning!

There is no doubt that the Internet has changed the world as we know it. Being of (slightly) advanced age, I remember the days when the only way to source new knowledge was to ask your mum or dad, thumb through an (out of date) encyclopedia, or search it out in your local library. Now, […]

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28th March 2013

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by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

Spoken English

Last week, I was a judge in an English speaking competition in Minsk, as part of a world-wide competition organised by the English Speaking Union. And then I gave a speech in English at Friendship House (Дом Дружбы). It was a humbling experience to listen to 12 young people from Belarus speaking English fluently – […]

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28th March 2013

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by Paul Johnston

Ambassador to Ireland

Iron, Ice and Innovation

This job takes me to a range of interesting places but it is not often in the space of a few hours that I end up 500 metres underground and then in a bedroom five degrees below freezing! Such was my contrasting experience on my visit to Kiruna this week. As guest of LKAB, which […]

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28th March 2013 Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Two Museums in Karakalpakstan

Last week was mid-term break at my daughter’s school, so I took some time off to go with my family to Khiva and Nukus. The big attraction in Nukus was the museum containing works from the collection of Igor Savitsky. It’s no longer unknown, since the 2010 film “Desert of Forbidden Art”. Apparently large numbers […]

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28th March 2013

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by Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

The Brits in Brissie – consular assistance

Because of its fantastic tourist attractions, from the Great Barrier Reef to the Gold Coast, many of the 640,000 Brits who come to Australia each year visit Queensland. The vast majority of visits are completely trouble-free, but the sheer volume means that our Consular team in Brisbane are kept busy. Some people get ill, or […]

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27th March 2013

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Changing of the Guard

As Rome prepares for Easter – a time that Christians have always considered to be one of renewal and rebirth – there is a palpable feel across the global religious map of a recharging of batteries, a resurgence of hope, and new leaders reinvigorating the faithful of different religious traditions. We have a new Pope, […]

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27th March 2013 Dublin, Ireland

Robin Barnett

by Robin Barnett

Former Ambassador to Ireland, Dublin

The multi-faceted life of an Ambassador

It has been a busy time for both me and the wider Embassy team. A recent Tuesday found me trying not to confuse the financing of energy investment in Poland with a trilateral Afghan, Polish, British roundtable on progress and next steps in Afghanistan. Both are really important. Poland and the UK both need to […]

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27th March 2013 Warsaw, Poland

Martin Oxley, Head, UKTI Poland

by Martin Oxley

Director of UKTI Warsaw

Business is GREAT – Poland’s Energy Opportunity

Off to Krakow today to team up with PMR, one of Emerging Europe’s leading business publication companies for an Energy is GREAT webinar. A virtual video conference where we get to present Poland’s €30 billion energy modernisation programme direct to UK companies across the UK. Where’s the opportunity then. Let’s take a pragmatic view: As […]

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27th March 2013 Vientiane, Laos

Philip Malone

by Philip Malone

Ambassador to Lao PDR

Home Sweet Home

We officially held our first day of work in the new British Embassy building on Monday!  After months of preparing for this occasion, everyone was very happy to move into the new building with nearly all of the staff in place just days before the official opening of the Embassy on 2 April. After a […]

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