8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
17th October 2024
OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA
11th October 2024
Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
16th January 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Transforming our Understanding of Trade
Today saw the launch of a very significant new initiative by the OECD and WTO, called Trade in Value Added, or TiVA. Why is it attracting so much attention? Don’t we already have statistics on trade? We do, but the the way we’ve looked at trade statistics for years no longer necessarily reflects the way […]
Read more on Transforming our Understanding of Trade | Reply (3)
16th January 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
How to do business in Turkey – and Britain
How can British companies best approach the Turkish market? Which sectors are most promising? Are there case studies? What on-line services are available? You can find the answers to all these questions and more in the splendid UK Trade and Investment in Turkey brochure. This includes: A summary of services which UKTI can provide to […]
Read more on How to do business in Turkey – and Britain | Reply
16th January 2013 Windhoek, Namibia
Looking back at a GREAT 2012 and ahead to 2013
Happy New Year to everyone! I trust you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and New Year and are entering 2013 suitably refreshed and ready to seize its fresh opportunities. Windhoek is starting to fill up again after looking like a bit of a ghost town for the last six weeks – with most away on […]
Read more on Looking back at a GREAT 2012 and ahead to 2013 | Reply
16th January 2013 Calgary, Canada
Music is GREAT (in Calgary)
Music is GREAT. I challenge you to debate that point. And in my obviously biased opinion, British music is the greatest. I grew up listening to the tunes of The Clash, Rolling Stones, Queen, David Bowie, Duffy, The Spice Girls, The Who, and Elton John. I still do (Spice Girls at Christmas and birthdays only). The […]
16th January 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Can the G8 be Gr8?
These days text communications shorthand is using “Gr8” to mean “great”. It looks and sounds similar to “G8” a heading that many people see in their newspapers and websites. The G8 heading is now part of my daily activity. We even have a website: @G8 and a similar Twitter address. What’s going on? The UK has […]
16th January 2013 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Samarkand
I spent last Thursday and Friday as a tourist in Samarkand with my daughter, who has been staying with us for the holidays. This is my second visit since arriving as Ambassador in Tashkent. The first was short and official, taking in British businesses and the city Hokimiat and Chamber of Commerce: useful and important, […]
15th January 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Virtues of Sin…
The SIN (Science and Innovation Network) is a UK government venture, which builds opportunities for the UK scientific community to enter into partnerships with policy, business and academic counterparts around the world. Located in about 30 countries around the world, the network is made up of about 90 staff. Their goal is to highlight innovation […]
15th January 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
How Istanbul, Izmir, Gaziantep and business are integrating Turkey into the EU
A crowd of dynamic entrepreneurial types gathers in an Istanbul hotel. Outside, in the crowded streets, deals are being made, goods bought and sold, and a metropolitan economy larger than many entire EU member states is growing strongly. Inside, the business people are learning how the EU works, focusing on practical details such as double […]
Read more on How Istanbul, Izmir, Gaziantep and business are integrating Turkey into the EU | Reply
15th January 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
January – the month of GREAT writers
Today I marked Mihai Eminescu’s birthday, Romania’s national poet, by reading one of his iconic poems and talking about Romania’s national heritage and the embassy’s ‘green agenda’. You can read more about Eminescu here.
Read more on January – the month of GREAT writers | Reply (13)
15th January 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Ianuarie – luna marilor scriitori
Ianuarie este o lună a marilor scriitori în Romania și în Marea Britanie. Pe 25 ianuarie, marcăm în Marea Britanie ziua de naștere a lui Robert Burns, poetul național al Scoției, iar pe 15 ianuarie marcăm ziua lui Mihai Eminescu. Cu această ocazie aș dori să vă citesc o poezie de Mihai Eminescu. Am ales, […]