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12th January 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A way to improve Ukrainian democracy in 2011
In what world ranking of democracy does Ukraine score three of the top eight places? As part of its end-year summary of the events of 2010, the respected British newspaper The Guardian recently published a picture gallery entitled “The Year in Parliamentary Punch-Ups“. The piece features pictures from Italy, Turkey, Nigeria, Taiwan, Argentina and Ukraine. […]
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8th January 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Passing on the Baton
Hungary is now officially Presidency of the Council of the European Union. I was present at a short and dignified ceremony on 6 January, in the spectacular Dome Hall of the Hungarian Parliament, when the Prime Minister of Belgium formally handed over this important function in the presence of a large audience of Ministers, officials, […]
6th January 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Saint Thomas a Becket
We are in Esztergom on 5 January, for an annual ecumenical commemoration ceremony for Saint Thomas a Becket. The service takes place on top of the hill facing the Cathedral, on which Saint Thomas’s small chapel stands, in icy weather. This part of the event is kept brief – some short readings and prayers. I […]
5th January 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
An exciting start to the New Year
I think it is true to say that Bolivia has been one of the more exciting places to be over Christmas and New Year – and I am not talking about the fireworks! One of the things I have noticed during my three and a half years here, is the tendency of Bolivians to focus very […]
5th January 2011 Ottawa, Canada
CFI Annual General Meeting
Now that I’ve given you all a more general overview of some of the Ottawa science events that have been keeping me on my toes, I thought I’d follow-up with a couple of shorter, slightly more detailed blogs on certain events that caught my attention. The CFI AGM was one such event, mostly as a result of […]
5th January 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Eye of a storm
Well, for those of you who read my previous posting, I did get stuck in London when my plane was cancelled. I eventually made it back to Budapest on Tuesday with two of my children and a colleague – using a combination of taxis, train, ferry and a 16-hour drive from Calais in stormy weather conditions. […]
30th December 2010 New York, USA
12 Highlights of the NY-UK relationship
Holiday message from British Consul-General New York Sir Alan Collins: 2010 has been a busy, challenging and rewarding year at the Consulate. There are many ways to reflect on the year that was. In the spirit of the holiday season, and with apologies to the English carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, it strikes me […]
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29th December 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Gong with the wind
The traditional and the modern are about to come together at beautiful Godollo Palace, the venue for most of the Ministerial meetings under the Hungarian EU Presidency. I had not been to the Palace for some 20 years, when it was in ruinous condition. But last Friday the diplomatic corps were invited by Foreign Minister […]
23rd December 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Review of the year
<![CDATA[ The end of the year is always a time for reflection. What did we do over the last year? What could we have done better? What will we try to achieve in the year ahead? 2010 has been another busy year for Bolivian-British relations. We have had a number of visits in both directions, […]
22nd December 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I can burn your face
You’ve got to admire the Dutch secret service, the AIVD, for their low profile. In fact when I see references to them in a show by US artist Jill Magid at the Tate Modern in London I log onto Google when I get home to check they exist. Even the Wikipedia entry notes that “there is […]