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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
20th December 2012 Washington DC, USA
Reducing UK presence in Afghanistan, implementing the move to full Afghan control
Yesterday, the UK Prime Minister announced to Parliament plans for a reduction in UK military forces in Afghanistan in 2013. The decision to “draw-down” our forces from 9,000 to around 5,200 reflects the significant progress in transitioning security responsibility to the Afghan government. This is a positive outcome and testament to the effort put in […]
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20th December 2012 London, UK
Consular Christmas blogs: Piñatas and Posadas – A Mexican Christmas
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year in Mexico. There are lights hanging everywhere, everyone is buying Christmas presents and arranging a family reunion with a fancy dinner. Our Mexican celebrations are the fusion of indigenous and Spanish traditions, seasoned with a bit of influence from the USA. The celebration starts with our […]
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20th December 2012 Athens, Greece
Four years in Athens: Reflecting on Commercial Affairs
Despite the economic crisis, Greece remains an important market for British goods and services. Greece is the UK’s 39th largest export market and in 2011 bilateral trade in goods was worth £ 1.77 bn. Although the value of UK exports of goods to Greece dropped, as a result of the continuing five year recession, Greece […]
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20th December 2012 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
An Extraordinary Year…
I board a flight this evening to spend Christmas with my wife’s family in Brisbane and I finally have a chance to reflect on what was, by any measure, the most extraordinary year for the UK-Malaysia bilateral relationship. A year which has seen our links across virtually all sectors, from education to trade, grow to […]
20th December 2012 Athens, Greece
From January 2009 to January 2013: Continuity and Change in the British Embassy, Athens
In January 2009, the then newly-arrived Ambassador, Dr David Landsman, OBE walked into my room, accompanied by our then Political Counsellor, for a brief discussion about my work. Upon leaving, he asked “what is the single area of work that you think will be most important in the period ahead?” I replied “migration”. I think […]
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20th December 2012 Beirut, Lebanon
Lebanon 2012: Running to Stand Still
Each year, many ambassadors send Ministers a review of trends in their country, and thoughts on what lies ahead. To share the more candid elements would be a bit of digital transparency too far, but here is a redacted version of what I have just sent. You can read the rest when it is released […]
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19th December 2012 USA
Scotland – it never ceases to surprise me
I should confess that while I am not Scottish I would quite fancy being Scottish for a while. The Scots, like the Irish, are renowned for being people who love to live life to the fullest. They produce God’s finest water (Scottish whiskys are seeing their exports to the US and most others markets rocket […]
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19th December 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
2012: 12 Highlights
This is my last blog of the year. Many thanks to all of you for taking the time to read my ramblings. Herewith twelve personal highlights from a fascinating, fun and fast-moving year in Sweden: January saw the first of many Ministerial visits this year. Lord Green, our Business Minister came for a big meeting […]
19th December 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Remembering the Holocaust
70 years ago, Europe was the scenario for an unprecedented and horrific experiment: the systematic effort to exterminate an entire race. On 17 December, Foreign Secretary William Hague marked the 70th anniversary of a declaration by the Allies denouncing the barbarous and inhumane treatment of Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe – “the bestial policy of cold-blooded […]
19th December 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Guide to applying for UK Business Visitor Visas
I recently wrote a blog about how to apply for Priority Business Visas. I’m pleased to say that UK Trade and Investment, supported by the UK Border Agency, have published an excellent guide to applying for a UK Business Visitor Visa in Turkey. It sets out five easy steps to apply for a visa; background on long-term […]
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