23rd May 2011
I don’t usually write about my holidays in this blog, and I won’t make an exception now. But by way of illustrating what terrific places there are to go on holiday in the UK, check out the photos below of Lundy Island, in the south west of England, where I recently spent a few days […]
19th May 2011
There’s a sacred island off the west coast of Scotland called Iona that was once described as a ‘thin place’ – one where the layer that separates heaven from earth is especially slim. The same can be said of Maramures. There are many things that impressed me about this region of Romania, hidden away in […]
17th May 2011
Foreign Minister Baconschi’s visit to London yesterday marks a new step in Romania’s relations with the United Kingdom. As he said in his press conference with his counterpart William Hague, we are building on the strategic partnership created between both countries in 2003. But the context today is quite different from eight years ago. The […]
10th May 2011
Of what 47-member body is Ukraine about to assume the Chairmanship, followed by the United Kingdom? The answer is of course the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), whose Chairmanship Ukraine will take on on 11 May. The UK, in turn, takes over the chairmanship from Ukraine in November. CoE Chairmanships are […]
6th May 2011
From the moment the lights go down and the familiar heavy metal chords ring out through the vast indoor space, it is clear that Deep Purple have lost none of their ability to rock. We’re in the Kyiv International Exhibition Centre and the ur-British rockers are here for one night only as they cut a […]
5th May 2011
Is it good or bad for Ukraine to allow the sale of agricultural land and, if so, under what conditions? There is muted excitement in Ukraine that the authorities may soon bring forward proposals to allow the sale of agricultural land, either later this year or in early 2012. Although most agricultural land in Ukraine […]
3rd May 2011
How can the Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, best ensure that it meets the democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people? I’ve blogged before about the unfortunate propensity of members of the Rada to settle disputes by physical violence – inside the chamber – rather than by debate. When I noted recently with approval that there hadn’t […]
28th April 2011
There can be few countries outside the UK where the Royal Wedding is being followed more avidly than in Romania. TV coverage began a week ago, the newspapers are full of information about Prince William and his bride-to-be Kate and everyone I meet is looking forward eagerly to the big day. That’s true even here […]
27th April 2011
Guest blog by Liudmyla Bulychova, Entry Clearance Assistant and Chornobyl walk participant When I first heard about the idea of Charity Walk to Chornobyl, I was so excited about it that I immediately agreed to help organise and take part in it. I had two basic reasons for that. Firstly, I would be the only […]
21st April 2011
I blogged in March about the Chernobyl charity walk which members of the British and French embassies were planning for 22 April. The great news is that the event, which is to help The Children of Chernobyl Relief and Development Fund and BLESMA, has already raised over UAH 130,000 – around #10,000. This is a […]