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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
23rd April 2024
Good English – A Key to Panama’s Future Success
21st March 2024
Forests in focus on International Day of Forests
14th May 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Romania’s new government: week one
Victor Ponta’s new government got off on the right foot last week by making clear that its economic policy will continue to be framed within the programme agreed between Romania and the EU, World Bank, and IMF. The IMF programme sets out what Romania needs to do, both in terms of fiscal consolidation and structural […]
14th May 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Grey Partridges
I very recently took part in the launch of a new book covering the most remarkable chapter in the history of relations between Britain and Romania. Professor Costel Coroban has researched and presented the extraordinary story of the Scottish women’s ambulance corps (known as the Grey Partridges because of the colour of their uniforms). This […]
11th May 2012 London, UK
EU Treaty Change Bill announced
Yesterday Lord Howell introduced the European Union (Approval of Treaty Amendment Decision) Bill to Parliament, as outlined in Her Majesty’s Speech earlier this week. The purpose of the Bill is very straightforward. It simply provides for Parliamentary approval of a Treaty change which makes explicit the ability of eurozone countries to set up a European […]
11th May 2012 Washington DC, USA
An Evolving Debate in Europe and America
Something I always dread happened the other day. A lunch guest bounced up to me enthusiastically and asked me how I felt about the President’s announcement. I was uncharacteristically but completely nonplussed. I’d been in back to back meetings all morning in Sacramento (hearing a rather different view from that of the Bay on economics and innovation […]
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11th May 2012 Athens, Greece
Witnessing the lighting of the Olympic flame ceremony
Yesterday, hundreds of spectators gathered at the birthplace of the Olympics in Ancient Olympia to witness the lighting of the Olympic Flame in an hour long traditional ceremony. Four of us from the media team in the Embassy were excited to have the opportunity to go to Olympia to support the UK delegation, made up […]
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10th May 2012 Washington DC, USA
Keeping Britain’s Armed Forces versatile, effective and capable
At this month’s NATO summit in Chicago, the UK, US and our allies will have a hard look at how we are equipped to confront threats in the twenty-first century. Recent NATO missions have shown the benefit of modern capabilities and Smart Defence. Unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles and smart munitions were crucial to the […]
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10th May 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
EU Week – Opening doors to a transatlantic trade deal?
It’s Europe week in DC. The real fun and games are this Saturday when each of the EU Embassies open their doors to our neighbours, curious to find a shortcut to see the inside of those fine properties on Embassy row (hint: go to the British Embassy at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue and see close up the Sir […]
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10th May 2012 Warsaw, Poland
Shale gas – definitely worth a closer look
Following up on last year’s House of Commons report on Shale Gas we have been in action this week at a major seminar focused on shale gas in Poland. The UK has strong experience in onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration. Poland is the latest in a number of countries in Central Europe to […]
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9th May 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
GREAT business in Monterrey
Guest blog: Sarah Hildersley, British Consul and Director UK Trade & Investment in Monterrey Since I arrived in Monterrey in early February, I have had the opportunity to meet representatives from some of Mexico’s leading companies. The role of UK Trade & Investment in Mexico is to identify opportunities for British and Mexican companies to do […]
9th May 2012 Washington DC, USA
Embassy Open House: Experience GREAT Britain in Washington
What is the first thing you think of when you think “United Kingdom?” Maybe it’s Buckingham Palace and the generations of kings and queens who have ruled the British Isles since Roman times. Maybe it’s the plays and poems of William Shakespeare, or the fortunes of your favourite Premier League side. Maybe it’s the complex, […]
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