16th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The sun is setting magnificently over the skyline of Kyiv. All around, commercial deals are being planned, connections established and views on business conditions exchanged. We’re at a major gathering of the British business community in Ukraine at my residence on 14 September. Supporting British business in Ukraine and attracting investors to the UK is […]
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15th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Today is International Day of Democracy. In the UK we believe that democracy rests on respect for every individual in society, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or other status. In fact this forms an indivisible part of our foreign policy. Through the work of the FCO we support not only electoral processes but […]
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9th September 2011
New York, USA
In some ways, it feels presumptuous for me to write about the tenth anniversary of 9/11. At the time of the attacks, I wasn’t here yet – my posting in New York didn’t begin until 2008. It seems like so much has been written by people better qualified to reflect on the last ten years. However, […]
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8th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The last one was agreed in 1977, in very different circumstances. This morning I signed a Double Taxation Treaty between the UK and Hungary, on behalf of the British Government. Why is that important? Several reasons. It protects against the risk of double taxation where the same income is taxable in either of our countries […]
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2nd September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A dozen TV cameras zoom in on a pen and an inch-thick contract. Signatures are completed; contracts swapped; and more signatures added. Eventually the process is complete and there are handshakes and a round of applause. I am at the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy to witness the signing of an important Joint Activity Agreement between […]
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31st August 2011
New York, USA
New York Consul-General Danny Lopez’s First Month It is hard to describe the excitement I felt when I was first informed that I’d been selected to be the next British Consul-General in New York. I spent two years living in the Big Apple in the early 2000s working for Barclays Bank, and I very much […]
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30th August 2011
New York, USA
Guest blog by Ann Reinking, Media and Public Affairs Coordinator. Planning the federal budget for President Obama. Directing and writing the Hollywood film The Adjustment Bureau. Co-founding the professional social networking site Linked-In. These are just a few examples of the impressive achievements of Marshall Scholarship recipients. The Marshall Scholarship provides American students with the exciting […]
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30th August 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The wire is carefully concealed: stretched through the grass at ankle-height and attached at one end to a grenade. When a soldier’s boot connects with it there is a mighty explosion. Nearby, a military convoy is ambushed by enemy forces and a helicopter is called in to evacuate the wounded. Fortunately, this is a military […]
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17th August 2011
New York, USA
Guest blog by Amita Randhawa, UKTI Regional Director, North-East USAThough August is traditionally a quiet month, New York has been positively buzzing over the past few weeks. Following the exciting arrival on 1 August of our new Consul-General, Danny Lopez, we welcomed Susan Haird, acting Chief Executive of UK Trade & Investment, last week for […]
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13th August 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
This morning the British Embassy swimming team all successfully completed a 1500 metre crossing of Lake Velence (the third largest in Hungary) to promote the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games. Colleagues Andy, Kata, Melinda, Anna and Geory were joined by 2 Hungarian international paralympic swimmers, Tamas Toth and Judit Tarjanyi. Dani drove and took […]
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