5th July 2011
I first had the idea of writing a blog about justice and politics in Ukraine in autumn 2009. At that time the campaign leading up to the presidential elections of February 2010 was in full swing. One presidential candidate made the campaign pledge that, if successful, he or she would ensure that another candidate stood […]
30th June 2011
Britain’s new Bribery Act comes into force tomorrow, 1 July. From tomorrow, British nationals and British companies are subject to new rules which tighten and extend legislation governing their activities overseas. The Bribery Act makes it illegal to give or receive a bribe anywhere in the world. It also requires companies to take steps to […]
30th June 2011
Nineteen young men and women stand in a semi-circle as various luminaries (including me) give short speeches about them and their plans. They then sign a contract under which, in return for financial assistance to study at one of the world’s top 200 universities, they undertake to return to Ukraine and work in their area […]
29th June 2011
How important is it that Ukraine clears away a major source of corruption? An apparently obscure piece of legislation offers a useful insight into the challenges facing the way Ukraine’s system of governance works; and a good indication of whether Ukrainian governance is improving. The Ukrainian government agreed in 2010 to adopt a public procurement […]
25th June 2011
When President Basescu and David Cameron met in Downing Street on 6 June they agreed to work together to promote new growth in the European economy, including by reducing the regulatory burden on business. We took the first steps to implement this agenda at the European Council yesterday. Romania and the UK worked together to […]
24th June 2011
What do Arsenal Football Club, British and Ukrainian charities, the Chernihiv regional authorities and former British ambassadors in Kyiv have in common? Answer: all have helped support a remarkable institution, the Chernihiv “Revival” centre for the social and medical rehabilitation of children. I’m visiting Chernihiv to help celebrate the 15th anniversary of the “Revival” centre. […]
15th June 2011
How much should an ambassador know about Louboutins? My recent blog Ambassadors in high heels prompted some interesting comments (eg from one female British diplomat: “there is no doubt that when I joined up as a young woman in the 1970s the expectation was that I would marry and leave”, but… “I have never not […]
10th June 2011
It’s a good feeling to speak first and have not one but two people speaking after you say something which dovetails perfectly with your opening remarks. This happens on my first day back in Kyiv after a stay in the UK, when I host an event at the residence to mark the planned opening of […]
3rd June 2011
The teenager is lying motionless in the road. The driver of the black Porsche Cayenne stands over him, horrified. A couple of passers-by are on their mobile phones, perhaps calling the police or an ambulance. I saw this scene recently in Kyiv on Ivana Mazepu Street, down which I walk and drive regularly. Although the […]
1st June 2011
President Basescu will visit London next week for talks with David Cameron. High on their agenda will be economic growth [*ro, PDF brochure 871 KB, new window]. This question is now urgent. Both our countries are emerging from recession, but the recovery is slow. Growth is forecast to be around 1.7% in the UK this […]