17th May 2024
Reflections on IDAHOBIT: International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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Value with Values: UK Commitment to Climate Partnership
25th April 2024
Reflect & Remember: Anzac Day 2024
24th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Habeas Corpus
Many important 20th anniversaries have been marked in Central and Eastern Europe recently. But so far no one has recalled that it is 20 years since the British Embassy in Budapest staged Alan Bennett’s “Habeas Corpus” to an ecstatic local audience. At that time there was a dearth of Englsh language theatre in Hungary. The […]
23rd September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Friends in Need
Our Foreign Secretary has just written to thank Foreign Minister Martonyi for the outstanding help provided by the Hungarian Embassy in Tripoli over the past few tumultuous weeks. During this time, the Embassy has provided vital help and support to nationals from the UK and other EU countries – travel documents, practical advice and liaison […]
23rd September 2011 Toronto, Canada
Canada-UK joint declaration: "A stronger partnership for the 21st century"
Yesterday saw the signing of a joint declaration by the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Canada. As part of a wider North American trip, David Cameron made a brief visit to Ottawa yesterday and signed the Canada-UK joint declaration entitled A stronger partnership for the 21st century. Of particular interest to the Science […]
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23rd September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Lviv literature
A guest blog by Martin Dowle, Director, British Council The west Ukrainian city of Lviv is an intriguing location for a literature festival. Breath-taking views of spires and domes, offset with hidden courtyards, make this city on the cusp between East and West a crossroads for cultural exchange. Some 300 events are packed into four […]
22nd September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Conservation in Practice
I was in the Pauline-Carmelite Monastery at Sopronfalva this morning. Lovingly and beautifully restored through the vision of Gabor Kovacs (KOGART), it is now a hotel, conference facility and meditation centre. It’s an excellent example of how a cultural heritage conservation project can be integrated into a local community. But today the monastery was the […]
22nd September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Development and Faith
I have just returned from a short visit to London, where I took the opportunity to meet Chris Bain, the Director of CAFOD, the principal Catholic charity in England and Wales (its main partners in the United Kingdom are SCIAF in Scotland, and Trocaire in Northern Ireland – which also operates in the Republic of […]
22nd September 2011 London, UK
An old alliance, modern challenges
This was my first visit to Portugal as Europe Minister. As well as being one of Europe (and the world’s) oldest alliances, the relationship between the UK and Portugal is based on close trade and economic links. During my visit I was pleased to meet several top Portuguese investors all of whom have interests in […]
21st September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I will remember Massachusetts
“To be honest, the first things that come to mind when I think of Massachusetts are Sam Adams ale, the Kennedys, the Red Sox, the original Tea Party….and the Bee Gees (“feel I’m going back to Massachusetts”, sung at notes too painful for me to reach). But having spent two days this week in Boston, […]
21st September 2011 Windhoek, Namibia
Managing the liquid of life in a desert land: British assistance to Namibia
Namibian guides like to pose the following question to first time visitors here: what do you do if you fall into a river in Namibia? Answer: stand up and dust yourself down. But sadly water, or more normally the lack of it, is not always a laughing matter here. Namibia is the most arid country […]
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20th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Tymoshenko in Yalta
The tiger is gigantic, looming against a glowing golden background. Behind it, cubs frolic. Near the work, Tiger Club by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, Ukrainian and foreign politicians including President Victor Yanukovych, Israeli President Shimon Peres and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair engage at the 8th annual Yalta European Strategy Forum (YES) “Ukraine and […]