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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Part of UK in Australia

21st June 2012

Defence visit by all party group of MPs

A group of senior MPs are currently visiting, to explore Australian thinking on Defence: Jim Murphy (Labour, Shadow Defence Secretary), Claire Perry (Conservative, PPS to the Defence Secretary) and Sir Bob Russell (Lib Dem, Member of the Defence Select committee).

Sir Bob Russell MP, HE Paul Madden, Claire Perry MP, Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP

In Canberra they met the Australian Defence Minister and Opposition spokesman, as well as a range of senior military officers and officials. They discussed shared experiences of a decade of intense operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, including the impact on public attitudes towards Defence. Perry and Russell both represent towns with strong army links.

They explored some of the future strategic challenges which Australia will be looking at in its new Defence White Paper next year. And they compared notes on the budgetary pressures both Defence ministries face, which provide an incentive to greater bilateral cooperation on defence procurement. Both sides welcomed the reinvigorated UK/Australia engagement through the AUKMIN process. They are travelling on to Adelaide to visit the Defence supply industry and then to Perth to visit some military establishments.

Sir Bob was impressed to find that among the fine British Ales which I offer guests when hosting official dinners, was his local brew Adnams. He was delighted to find it so far away from home.

About Paul Madden

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017. He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia…

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017.

He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia until February 2015. Prior to this he was British High Commissioner in Singapore from 2007-2011.

A career diplomat, he was previously Managing Director at UK Trade and Investment (2004-2006), responsible for co-ordinating and
implementing international trade development strategies to support
companies across a wide range of business sectors.

As Assistant Director of Information at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (2003-2004) he was responsible for public diplomacy policy,
including managing the FCO funding of the BBC World Service, the British
Council and the Chevening Scholarships programme. He led the team
responsible for the award-winning UK pavilion at the Aichi Expo in Japan
2005.

He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore from 2000-2003 and has
also served in Washington (1996-2000) and Tokyo (1988-92). Between
1992-96 he worked on EU enlargement and Environmental issues at the FCO
in London.

Before joining FCO he worked at the Department of Trade and Industry
(1980-87) on a range of industrial sectors and trade policy, including
two years as a minister’s Private Secretary.

He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University, an MBA
from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University’s School
of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society. His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business
Leadership, was published in 2003.

Married to Sarah, with three children, he was born in 1959, in Devon.

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2012 canberra Defence Minister Russell