7th March 2011
“Transparency” is a big buzzword whenever people talk about improving the business climate in Ukraine. Everyone agrees that if we can increase transparency in the way economy is run, with a level playing field for all and transparent arrangements for eg tax payments, the business climate will improve. That in turn will boost Foreign Direct […]
10th February 2011
I wrote recently in the Bolivian newspaper La Razon about the importance of free trade and the Doha Round of trade negotiations. As Prime Minister David Cameron has said, 2011 is a “make or break” year: we go forward, boosting free trade and global prosperity, or backwards to the dark ages of protectionism and beggar-thy-neighbour. […]
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9th February 2011
At a recent press conference at the residence about the British Business Days in Ukraine a journalist asked me when the UK would actually start making investments in Ukraine in factories that produced things. I said there were a number of examples of such production, whether in manufacturing, agriculture or energy production; but that one […]
4th February 2011
We welcomed to Mumbai in January the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Dr Vince Cable. He came with an extensive professional and personal knowledge of India, and indeed affection for the country. He was happily married for thirty five years, until her death, to a lady whose parents were from Goa, and […]
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27th January 2011
Two senior figures in British politics were in Mumbai in January – Vince Cable and Boris Johnson. Boris Johnson and Peter Beckingham Two senior figures in British politics were in Mumbai in January – Vince Cable, Cabinet Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, and Boris Johnson, The Mayor of London. They don’t […]
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19th January 2011
Promoting British business in Ukraine is one of the top priorities of our embassy in Kyiv. We are regularly in contact with companies and government on every aspect of business activity, from advising companies who are considering starting up in Ukraine, through engaging with the government on specific issues, to lobbying on how to improve […]
27th November 2010
The Lord Mayor of London and Speaker of the House of Commons have now left Budapest! The Lord Mayor’s programme today included a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Navracsics, who is also Minister for Justice (to talk about proposed EU economic regulation). And a speech to British Chamber of Commerce members (including Hungarian companies) to […]
24th November 2010 London, UK
I visited Spain last week. I was there to beat the drum for British business, but I also spoke to Spanish business leaders from companies such as Santander and Ferrovial, who have invested in the UK. Watch my video blog to find out more.
9th August 2010
I blogged last December about the urgent need to tackle corruption in Ukraine, which had slid to place 146 (out of 180) in Transparency International’s corruption index for 2009. Since the election of President Yanukovych, the new Ukrainian government has announced several anti-corruption measures, including welcome steps to deregulate business. That in turn could help […]
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11th June 2010
Many people are talking about India’s ‘Second Tier’ cities. The phrase doesn’t strike me as the kindest, with the hint that they haven’t quite made the grade. But it is commonly used, to differentiate the large number of growing two million plus cities from the huge metropolises like Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. I visited briefly […]
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