12th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Jeremy Browne, FCO Minister of State, spent three days in Australia visiting Sydney and Brisbane. He commented that the country had changed since his last visit as a 19 year old backpacker in the 80s, but the welcome was just as warm. He noted that Australia is now the world’s 13th largest economy, a member […]
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9th August 2011
Toronto, Canada
This is John Preece bringing you another SIN infographic, this time courtesy of new data from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The FCO is the government department responsible for British interests outside of Britain, and it has three priorities: Keep Britain safe, make Britain prosperous and support British nationals overseas (the Science and Innovation […]
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6th July 2011
London, UK
Stephen Brown, Caseworker in the FCO’s Child Abduction Section I already had some experience of assisting British nationals before I took up the job of child abduction caseworker at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) two and a half months ago. When I applied for the vacancy I was the Vice Consul at a British […]
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19th May 2011
Nairobi, Kenya
I’d like to welcome you to my first blog as the UK Senior Representative to Somalia and the first-ever one on behalf of the new British Office for Somalia. My name is Matt Baugh. You will find a link to my biography elsewhere on this page, in case you would like to know a […]
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3rd May 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The importance the British Government attaches to enhancing relations with India was underlined in March when Lord Green visited the country, including Mumbai. Lord Green has just weeks ago taken on the position of Minister of Trade and Investment, and his first official overseas visit was to India. Lord Green is well known to many […]
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20th April 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I made two visits recently to the State of Gujarat in Western India, both of which underline the enormous potential for UK companies in India, and the scale of developments here. At the end of March a team from our trade and investment operation in Mumbai travelled to Surat, the second largest city in Gujarat, […]
Read more on 5m people, an economy growing at 11.5 per cent – Ingredients for a “second tier” city in India | Reply
15th April 2011
New York, USA
I wanted to let you know that I am considering changing my title here at the consulate. Instead of Deputy Consul-General, I hope to soon be known as the “Mayor”. No I am not declaring my candidacy against the honourable Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York. I am joining the wave of […]
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5th April 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
As we note on our website, “Human Rights and Democracy: The 2010 FCO Report” was publicly launched by the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, in London on 31 March, alongside guest speakers Dr Agnes Callamard from the freedom of expression NGO Article 19, and the Iranian Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari. The report is available online at www.fco.gov.uk/hrdreport. For […]
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12th March 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Guest blog by Svita Yavorska, EU Co-ordinator, British Embassy Kyiv It’s great to find the Ukrainian Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources full of people who care passionately about climate change. The occasion is a round table organised by the British Embassy in partnership with the State Environmental Investment Agency of Ukraine to highlight the […]
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7th March 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
I’m giving a press conference at a seminar for young eastern European mayors at the Ukrainian provincial town of Vinnitsa when a journalist leans forward. Why, he asks, are there are so few women amongst the mayors invited to the event? After the organisers have explained that they had to invite young mayors from those […]
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