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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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2nd December 2025
In cybersecurity, there are no limits – only new voices ready to lead
14th October 2025
Lost and Found (but mostly lost)
4th October 2012 New Delhi, India
Yet another gem in Pune research landscape
A few weeks ago Swapna Hedge from our Knowledge Economy team and I visited the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) in Pune; a city surrounded by greenery and blessed with a salubrious climate and famous for its educational institutes, earning it the sobriquet “Oxford of the East”. ARI is an autonomous institute of the Department of […]
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4th October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Tourism and Energy
Last week the world marked World Tourism Day with the theme ‘Tourism and Energetic Sustainability’. As I blogged about the colourful Meskel celebration on 27 September, Ethiopia was simultaneously commemorating World Tourism Day, using the opportunity to promote the tourism sector while keeping the need to be green in mind. This year the focus was […]
3rd October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Finding the balance in our trade relations
I spent last week in Honduras mostly talking with companies, industry organisations, international financial institutions and government officials about the UK’s economic and commercial relationship. San Pedro Sula in particular is a real hub for employment and wealth generation in the country contributing to over 60% of GDP. There and in Tegucigalpa British companies and […]
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3rd October 2012 Warsaw, Poland
All aboard for the Great British Polish Rail journey
There’s one thing you can say about the railways since I’ve been living in Poland – they’ve got slower. There still on time but you need a lot of it plus a big dose of patience to travel around the country. Well that’s about to change. We’re getting stuck in to help to modernise one […]
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3rd October 2012 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Coming back to Tashkent
I arrived in Tashkent six weeks ago. In September I presented my credentials to President Karimov (letters from The Queen confirming my appointment as Ambassador). I was one of four Ambassadors to see the President that day. Each of us formally handed over our Letters of Credence, and then spent some time in one-to-one conversation […]
3rd October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Is it a mosque? Or is it a church?
Imagine you are in an enormous mosque, over 1,000 years old. You find an architectural style that encourages serene contemplation: a seemingly endless vista of columns culminating in an octagonal mihrab, a sacred focal point for prayer. But then, in the heart of the mosque, you come across a cathedral: an altar, statues of saints […]
3rd October 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Challenges facing Europe: A British view
Britain’s future relationship with the EU is a subject of constant debate. This week our Minister for Europe, David Lidington, has been in Stockholm, addressing the challenges the EU faces. He had good meetings with Carl Bildt and Birgitta Ohlsson. In a talk at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs he stressed that for all […]
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2nd October 2012 Paris, France
British innovation and creativity in the motor and fashion industries
I’ve been thinking a lot this last week about innovation and creativity, because we’ve had two major events in Paris which have brought innovative parts of British industry to France. We’ve been able to host both of them in the Residence here. Transcript: First of all, the Motor Show in Paris, which is a great […]
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2nd October 2012 Beirut, Lebanon
The Naked Diplomat
Tomorrow, we’re hosting in Beirut a conference on how diplomats can respond to the way in which social media is changing our work. We’ll be hosting a tweetup (#digiconflb) and drawing on the feedback so far on the FCO’s digital consultation. I was lucky to take part in a panel on social media during last […]
2nd October 2012 Chevening, UK
Join Chevening, make the climb, leave behind a legacy…see you when you get there!
Our latest blog entry is by 2009 Chevening Scholar Erick Kowa, who shares his Chevening Experience with us. Erick is from Papua New Guinea and he studied for a Masters degree in Oil and Gas Engineering at the University of Aberdeen. The prestigious Chevening Scholarship was a tremendous experience that propelled me onto a new level […]
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