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27th February 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Multi-culturalism, the Ukrainian “Brand”, and politically-motivated trials
I gave an interview to Korrespondent magazine recently which appeared in Russian in the paper edition on 24 February. It’s now available on-line. The interview, also in English on our web-site, covers issues such as multi-culturism, Ukraine’s relationship with the EU; how to improve living standards in Ukraine; politically-motivated trials; visas; “the Ukrainian brand”; why […]
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27th February 2012 Geneva, Switzerland
From limping to sprinting
What a difference a year makes. 12 months ago the Human Rights Council had just limped to the anaemic conclusion of a year-long review process, with many countries and human rights organisations wondering how much longer they could justify spending time and energy on the Council with little to show for it. During its first […]
27th February 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
EU- Jordan Task Force: What was it all about ?
Many people will have seen the news of Wednesday’s EU-Jordan Task Force at the Dead Sea and will no doubt have been pleased by the announcement of €3 billion of financial aid. But what was this event really about? And why was it important? Understanding Europe’s unique mix of policies, legislation and diplomacy has never […]
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27th February 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Somalia: a Major Step Forward
After 20 years of civil war, there are signs of hope for Somalia. The timing of a Conference of 55 delegations at Lancaster House in London last week to discuss the way ahead seemed to embody the growing international consensus – not just among the countries of the region but much more widely – that […]
26th February 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
High Value Opportunities in Australia’s gas sector
I was in Perth last week for the major Australasia Oil and Gas show. We had some 60 British companies there, the largest group we had ever sent to this important show, and the largest international group represented there. That’s not surprising when you consider the scale of the opportunities in this sector in Australia, […]
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24th February 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
Doing something positive for Somalia
Yesterday Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar attended the international conference on Somalia in London hosted by British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron. Her presence was valuable and built on the good collaboration that Britain and Pakistan have enjoyed over the narrower question of Somali piracy. We’ve both suffered from these pirates. So our two navies have collaborated on […]
24th February 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
After the London Conference on Somalia: Share Your Views
In my opinion the London Conference on Somalia yesterday was a great success. In case you missed any of it then you can find full reports and links here. It was the biggest conference on Somalia, involving the greatest number of senior leaders, from as wide a range of countries and international organisations, as seen […]
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24th February 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Ukraine: is discounted gas good? #2
I blogged recently about the complexities around Ukraine’s efforts to secure cheap gas from other countries. I noted that increasing the price of gas supplies to domestic consumers could help strengthen Ukraine’s hand in those negotiations. At present, some consumers of gas in Ukraine (mostly industrial users) pay market prices. Other users pay a lower, […]
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23rd February 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
Introduction – Jasper Thornton
I began my career as a journalist on Egypt’s Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper, spending two years living on a house-boat in the heart of Cairo and reporting on the Middle East. In 2002 I joined the UK civil service. Before the Foreign Office, I was a Senior Policy Advisor in the Cabinet Office, covering Russia, Georgia […]
23rd February 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Brilliant Ukrainian computer designers – and trade
It’s February, which means it must be time for the annual awards ceremony for the computer-aided design competition for universities organised by Birmingham-based Delcam, one of the world’s leading suppliers of advanced CADCAM (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing) for industry. Having hosted several such receptions before and visited Delcam’s 10-year anniversary of cooperation with Ukrainian […]
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