Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

14th May 2012 Ottawa, Canada

Signing of the Canada/UK Joint Innovation Statement!

On Tuesday of last week (May 8, 2012) the Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, and Lord Green, Minister of State for Trade and Investment met in Montreal and signed the Canada/UK Joint Innovation Statement. The ceremony was attended by a small audience, and in case you were following our twitterfeed: [blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/UKinCanada/status/199954199398727681″] The signing happened in […]

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14th May 2012

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by Martin Harris

British Ambassador to Ukraine

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 […]

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14th May 2012

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by Martin Harris

British Ambassador to Ukraine

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 […]

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11th May 2012 London, UK

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by David Lidington

Minister for Europe, London

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 […]

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11th May 2012 Washington DC, USA

Rosalind Campion portrait

by Rosalind Campion

Counsellor for Global Issues

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

Aspa Giannopoulou

by Aspa Giannopoulou

Digital Diplomacy Officer

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

by Major General Buster Howes

Defence Attaché

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

Robin Twyman

by Robin Twyman

Consul for Business and Government Affairs

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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