22nd December 2025
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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17th December 2025
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9th December 2025
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18th January 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
How to make stuff with less energy – or, how Turkey can import less gas
This January figures were published showing that Turkish gas imports had hit an all-time high. So the timing of the UK-Turkey Knowledge Partnership Conference at the British Consulate General in Istanbul on 17 January to examine Energy and Resource Efficiency in Manufacturing could not have been better. Turkey is an increasingly important research and manufacturing […]
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18th January 2013 New Delhi, India
Understanding climate change: working together
Last week I visited the Indian Institute for Science where a distinguished delegation of academics from Imperial College London were holding a joint workshop organised by the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial and the Divecha Centre for Climate Change at IISc Bangalore. Aside from a fabulous lunch up in the trees of IISc’s […]
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17th January 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Holy See: Global and Local
It is often said that the Holy See is a hybrid of the global and the local. This is true. On the one hand, its global diplomatic network reaches into every corner of the world through its Apostolic Nuncios (Holy See ambassadors) to the capillary branches of bishops, priests, religious and lay people that make […]
17th January 2013 Budapest, Hungary
A night at the circus
I went to the circus for the first time in ages this weekend – taking my family with me. We had great fun. The acts were good and there were no scary clowns! And the place was absolutely full so the atmosphere was excellent. Quite apart from the content of the show, what made a […]
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]