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31st January 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Which way out?
Romania’s former Foreign Minister, Andrei Plesu, commented yesterday on the tough economic conditions facing Romania and quoted Caragiale “From this dilemma we have no way out”. Certainly the economic outlook looks a bit like Bucharest’s roads did last week, blocked at every junction and with more snow on the way. Growth forecasts are being revised […]
31st January 2012 Dublin, Ireland
Freezing in Kraków
Winter has arrived with a vengeance! But that is no reason to stop travelling around the regions which are one of the engines of Polish growth. Krakow is well known already to large numbers of British tourists. Fewer people know how many UK companies already take advantage of the skilled workforce in the region and […]
30th January 2012 Beirut, Lebanon
Lebanon 2020
There is a joke that does the rounds in Beirut. Q: ‘What’s the definition of Lebanese long term thinking?’ A: ‘See you tomorrow’. Like many Lebanese jokes, there is truth in this. Of course, a focus on the short term is understandable, given the conflicts of the past, the volatility of the region, the interference […]
30th January 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
Celebrating Connections
Variety is one of the things I love about my job. It comes from the huge range of issues, people and types of engagement that connect the UK to Pakistan. We have just launched a multi-month communications campaign to celebrate that variety. It is called Celebrating Connections and it is in the media, on our […]
29th January 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Australia-UK Ministerial Meeting in London
I am currently in London for the 4th AUKMIN meeting which took place on 23/24 January at the prestigious Lancaster House near Buckingham Palace. Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Defence Minister Stephen Smith, led a large Australian delegation of senior officials and military officers. They were welcomed by Foreign Secretary William Hague and Defence Secretary […]
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27th January 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
London Conference on Somalia: Political Process
Reading all of the comments on my three previous blogs has clearly reminded me (as if I needed reminding) that Somalis around the globe love political debate. That is why I am so glad that this blog is beginning to provide a forum for a large number of people to express their views. Those views […]
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27th January 2012 Windhoek, Namibia
CT World Cup Rally comes to Windhoek: from Big Ben south to the bottom of Africa
I met up with members of the CT World Cup Rally Team at the Kalahari Sands Hotel last night for a drink as they passed through Namibia on their epic ‘3 continent/14 countries/in 27 driving days’ journey down the African continent. The Rally marks the first ever timed driving event from Europe to the bottom […]
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26th January 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Freedom of the media in Ukraine
Back in July 2010 I wrote a blog called How to stop censorship in Ukraine. Based on a discussion with journalists, I noted both areas for concern and some areas for optimism; and observed that freedom of the media would be critical for Ukraine’s relationship with the EU because the Copenhagen criteria, which set out […]
25th January 2012 USA
Light bulb moments in climate security
A unique feature of the UK’s policy and political work with the US on climate change over the past several years has been the engagement of Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti, our Climate and Energy Security Envoy. This first-of-its-kind role has provided the Rear Admiral and our government with new opportunities to work with a key […]
25th January 2012 Toronto, Canada
SIN Global 2012
If things seemed a little quiet on the SIN blog and newsfeed last week, it’s because Nicole, Nicolina, Paolo, Shannon and I were in London rubbing shoulders with the rest of the global Science and Innovation Network at our all-Posts conference. As well as meeting face-to-face (often for the first time) with our stakeholders in […]