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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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17th April 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
HIV/AIDS and needle exchanges in Ukraine
Ukraine is, with Russia, amongst the countries in Europe with the highest rates of HIV infection. In Ukraine around 60 people are infected daily and over 235,000 people live with HIV/AIDS. So I was delighted when Alliance Ukraine, a member of the Brighton-based International HIV/AIDS Alliance, organised a visit to Ukraine recently by Lord Fowler, […]
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17th April 2012 Dublin, Ireland
Let’s deregulate!
Deregulation or making it easier to do business is key to a successful growth agenda. I recently joined a panel at SGH (Warsaw School of Economics) on the important theme of deregulation. Governments everywhere are regularly criticised for imposing too many regulatory burdens on business, especially small business, and thereby hampering growth. The SGH discussion […]
17th April 2012 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Like the bamboo and the riverbank, inseparable
The weekend gave me a chance to reflect on a historic visit by our Prime Minister to Kuala Lumpur. If the Prime Minister’s intention had been to build on his personal friendship with Prime Minister Najib to refresh and reinvigorate the bilateral relationship, then the visit, by any measure, was a resounding success. The Prime […]
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16th April 2012 Guatemala City, Guatemala
#UK foreign policy in 140 characters
Instant, insightful & interactive coverage of what we do, where & why. Follow us: @UKinGuatemala.
16th April 2012 Montréal, Canada
Environmental exposure : trends, priorities and collaboration – A UK-Canada perspective
The British High Commission (in Canada)`s Science and Innovation Network, together with the Canadian Institute of Health Research for Human Development, Child and Health (CIHR-IHDCYH) under the aegis of the scientific director Michael Kramer, hosted a workshop on Measuring Environmental Exposure. Our goal was to better understand the research gaps that still need to be addressed in order […]
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13th April 2012 Washington DC, USA
Strengthening Trade for Security and Prosperity
Today the US/UK Defence Trade Cooperation Treaty comes into effect. In a ceremony presided by Rose Gottemoeller, the acting US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, our two countries finalised an agreement originally signed five years ago to strengthen our mutual security and build our shared prosperity. British and American manufacturers […]
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13th April 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
Continuing the Conversations
I really enjoy sharing my experiences and thoughts in an informal way through this blog. I’ve been able to do blog posts on subjects as diverse as foreign policy issues, the Commonwealth, the trade and education links between the UK and Pakistan and of course cricket. And I have particularly valued the feed back. But […]
12th April 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Mansaf in the Badiya
Some people think that diplomats spend much of their time eating and drinking. If only they knew how much time is spent answering emails and managing budgets. But certainly lunches and dinners are among the essential tools that a diplomat uses to get to know people and to understand the country he or she is […]
12th April 2012 Harare, Zimbabwe
Injecting the civilian element into military training for Helmand
Transition in Helmand is not limited to Afghans taking the lead. Change is a constant factor for international civilians and military too. Over the last month we have all been acutely aware of this transition known as the Relief in Place (RiP), where some of the outgoing and incoming soldiers are in theatre at the […]
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12th April 2012 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Malaysia, Truly Asia
In my first blog three months ago, I wrote about how thrilling this year would be for our bilateral relationship, culminating in a visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. At that stage, I had no idea that we would soon have an equally exciting visit […]