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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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Forests in focus on International Day of Forests
16th October 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Food and the Fighting Man
Napoleon said that an Army marches on its stomach. So what’s the connection between food and war? Most wars are about ideology, nationalism or territory. Very often the reason for conflict over territory is to do with growing food. There might be a fight to gain richer soil, easier access to water or better grazing […]
16th October 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Food security: a second green revolution?
Today is Blog Action Day 2011 and the subject is food. Food has a huge impact on our very existence, from the state of our countryside to the length of our lives. And in recent years food security has become a major security risk for everyone, alongside terrorism and arms proliferation – a problem we […]
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15th October 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Un pact pentru creștere economică
Vince Cable, ministrul britanic pentru Afaceri şi Inovaţie a venit săptămâna trecută la Bucureşti cu un mesaj foarte clar – Uniunea Europeană trebuie să revină pe un parcurs de creştere economică sustenabilă pe termen lung. Şi asta înseamnă ca UE să facă ceea ce ştie mai bine – comerţ liber. Atât România cât şi Marea Britanie beneficiază […]
13th October 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Comedy stand-up
There was encouraging news yesterday, with 200 political prisoners released in Burma. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “I welcome the news that a number of political prisoners have been released. … We look forward to the hopes for genuine change coming to fruition, and to seeing news of further releases and progress on other […]
13th October 2011 Windhoek, Namibia
The joys of pap in Namibia
It is international Blog Action Day (BAD) 2011 this Sunday 16 October and the topic for this year is food. Last year the FCO took an active part in this event and is encouraging its bloggers around the world to contribute to the food theme from our unique international and local perspectives. Having only been […]
13th October 2011 London, UK
First use of the European Union Act 2011
The Foreign Secretary has today made a statement to Parliament which explains the Government’s first use of the European Union Act 2011. This use of the Act is required by the proposed treaty change to enable Eurozone countries to set up the European Stability Mechanism, which aims to secure economic stability in the Eurozone countries […]
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13th October 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
What Next for Ukraine?
This week, for almost the first time since I arrived in Ukraine in June 2008, Ukraine has been the number one item on the BBC World News website and in other media around the world. Friends have been getting in touch to ask me what’s going on, and where Ukraine is going. It’s an important […]
12th October 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Tymoshenko verdict
Following the verdict in the Tymoshenko trial, the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, said: “The conviction of the Ukrainian opposition politician, Yuliya Tymoshenko, by a court in Kyiv is deeply concerning. Independent legal experts including the Danish Helsinki Committee have concluded that Ms Tymoshenko’s trial was subject to numerous and serious violations of fundamental legal principles, […]
11th October 2011 Bucharest, Romania
Romanian military, a steadfast partner
Guest blogger: Colonel Giles Orpen-Smellie, the British Defence Attaché, on his contribution to the visit by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to Bucharest It was a pleasure to be able to address the British Parliamentary delegation, led by Sir Menzies Campbell MP, a former leader of the British Liberal-Democrat Party, who visited Bucharest over the weekend […]
10th October 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Chornobyl: Safer Storage of Radioactive Waste
How radioactive is the environment at the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone? The question seems particularly pertinent when you’re planting a tree and the wind is blowing sand in your eyes. This was the scene recently when I visited Chornobyl with Volodymyr Kholosha, Head of the State Agency of Ukraine for the management of the Chornobyl Exclusion […]
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