21st November 2013 Beirut, Lebanon
Tomorrow I’ll hand a letter from Prime Minister Cameron to President Sleiman, with formal congratulations on Lebanon’s 70th anniversary. The wonderful people at Rag Mag also asked me to write an open letter to mark the day. This is a tough and precarious assignment, and it will annoy or anger some people. But I’ve had […]
31st July 2013 Beirut, Lebanon
Tomorrow is Army Day in Lebanon. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) will parade, and the Lebanese people reflect on the role the military have played in maintaining stability over the past year, and the sacrifices they have made. I’ll join other Ambassadors in admiring the march past as Lebanese political leaders salute the LAF colours, […]
Read more on The Support to Match Their Courage | Reply (10)
20th December 2012 Beirut, Lebanon
Each year, many ambassadors send Ministers a review of trends in their country, and thoughts on what lies ahead. To share the more candid elements would be a bit of digital transparency too far, but here is a redacted version of what I have just sent. You can read the rest when it is released […]
Read more on Lebanon 2012: Running to Stand Still | Reply (4)
22nd October 2012 Dublin, Ireland
The last week has shown the many facets of our bilateral relationship. It began with an excellent seminar on reducing regulation, which we co-hosted with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Economy and the Prime Minister’s office. We exchanged experiences with Polish Ministers and experts and agreed that deregulation and reducing burdens on business […]
Read more on A varied week in the life of an ambassador | Reply
7th September 2012 Beirut, Lebanon
Lebanon tends to be high on our August watchlist. This year there was no major single crisis, but five developments raised anxiety. Israel accused Hizballah of involvement in the Bourgas terrorist attack. A pro-Assad former Minister was arrested. Kidnappings returned in a dangerous 48 hours. Some Gulf countries told their nationals to leave. The Tripoli […]
15th December 2011 Beirut, Lebanon
I have now been in Beirut over three months. The Lebanese tell me that the more you learn about this extraordinary country, the less you understand. So I fear that my first impressions could become more confused over the next three years. The contrasts of Lebanon are a well worn cliché, but still hit the […]
Read more on LEBANON – BEWITCHED, BEDAZZLED AND BEWILDERED | Reply (14)