Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

6th June 2012 New Delhi, India

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by Swati Saxena

Senior Science and Innovation Adviser

A day spent in Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly

In February this year, I travelled to Bareilly, located in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), along with a delegation of UK experts in livestock research to visit IVRI.  The visit was part of a joint venture between the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Indian Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to initiate […]

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5th June 2012

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Sixty Years of Service

This is a week of celebration in the United Kingdom and across the 15 independent realms of which The Queen is Head of State (including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica). We are celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. And in so doing, we are also celebrating the stability and evolution of the British […]

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1st June 2012 Dublin, Ireland

Robin Barnett

by Robin Barnett

Former Ambassador to Ireland, Dublin

(British) Food is GREAT!

Poland has always been a problem for my waistline, as I have a real weakness for dishes like pierogi, żurek and a well made bigos. The ingredients for these and many other dishes can now be found in most British supermarkets thanks to the thriving Polish community in the UK. But now British food and […]

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1st June 2012

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Beach volleyball, the Foreign Office and Euro 2012

How will beach volleyball affect the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London this summer?  What are the parallels, and differences, between London 2012 and Euro 2012 in Ukraine? You can find answers to these and other questions about the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, and about the Euro 2012 football championship, in a short TV […]

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31st May 2012 Toronto, Canada

UK Creative Industries KTN visits Toronto

SIN Canada in Toronto recently had the pleasure of a visit by Jeremy Davenport of the UK Creative Industries Knowledge Transfer Network (CI-KTN). The CI-KTN is part of the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), and represents around 6,000 companies/institutions involved in the creative sector. Jeremy was in Toronto to make connections with the creative types located […]

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31st May 2012 Ottawa, Canada

A GREAT day in Canada

I haven’t blogged much recently, as we’ve been launching the GREAT campaign across Canada. GREAT as in Britain, and it asks Canadians to take a new look at the Old Country. You’ll be surprised by what you see. All the things you’d expect in the history and tradition departments – and we’re on the verge of […]

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31st May 2012

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by Peter Millett

Ambassador to Libya, Tripoli

Continuity and Change

This weekend sees an outburst of national emotion in the United Kingdom as we celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. It will be done in style: a four-day holiday weekend will see a pageant of 1,000 boats sail down the River Thames including a specially designed royal barge, a concert at Buckingham Palace with some of the […]

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31st May 2012

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Why Kyiv is brilliant

The view is astounding.  Below, a mighty river winds through a brilliant green landscape.  A steep bluff studded with golden domes tumbles down to the shore.  Below me are several hundred tonnes of stainless steel.  Welcome to one of the world’s great – and least-known – cities. After years of writing blogs about visits to […]

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30th May 2012

Robin Twyman

by Robin Twyman

Consul for Business and Government Affairs

GREAT British Cars

Why buying a second-hand jag puts you in good, competitive company… In the business pages of this Sunday’s Washington Post, Michael Lennox asked whether an aspiring global competitor from a developing economy could use the acquisition of an established Western business to grow its earnings and diversify. Michael’s case in point was Tata’s acquisition in 2008 of […]

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30th May 2012

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

British Parliamentarians at Vatican

Seven members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Holy See have just visited the Vatican. In a whistle-stop tour, they were able to meet a range of important Holy See officials, including calls at the Secretariat of State and, separately, at Caritas Internationalis. They were also presented to Pope Benedict at the General […]

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