21st January 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The British Government aims to be the “greenest ever”. So it is no surprise that in recent official meetings – and we have many more visitors to Budapest than usual as a result of Hungary’s EU Presidency – UK Ministers and officials have raised the subject of renewable energy and Hungary’s geothermal potential. Thermal waters […]
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18th January 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
We are already well into the Hungarian Presidency, with Ministers and senior officials pouring in from other EU countries for Presidency meetings. In the last week we have had meetings of Europe Directors; Political Directors: and Europe Ministers for a GAC or General Affairs Council (all from Foreign Ministries); we are in the middle of […]
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30th December 2010
New York, USA
Holiday message from British Consul-General New York Sir Alan Collins: 2010 has been a busy, challenging and rewarding year at the Consulate. There are many ways to reflect on the year that was. In the spirit of the holiday season, and with apologies to the English carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, it strikes me […]
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17th December 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
When the Lord Mayor of London visited Kyiv in September 2009 he drew attention to the immense expertise of British financial institutions in developing Public Private Partnership or PPP. This is an arrangement where a private organisation assumes the risk of financing and building anything from a bridge to a hospital on the basis of […]
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10th December 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
On Thursday 18 November forty people gathered pre-dawn at one of India’s most historic sites, the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, where Mahatma Gandhi lived for many years. The occasion was the beginning of an India-UK Friendship Walk, which my wife Jill has organised with massive support from members of the Association of British Scholars in […]
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29th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Last week the National School of Government came to Budapest for an extremely useful training session for a group of Embassy staff on what to expect under the Hungarian EU Presidency. They covered for example the EU decision making process; the challenges we will face; how the rotating Presidency fits into the new EU architecture; […]
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24th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Although preparations for the Hungarian EU Presidency are now gathering pace, ordinary life does not stop. And we know how accidents, natural disasters or international events can throw out the best laid plans. When I saw the moving reports of the Hungarian red sludge accident on 4 October, I was shocked by the acute hardship […]
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19th November 2010
Islamabad, Pakistan
This week in Islamabad, the Government of Pakistan and the international community came together for the first meeting of the Pakistan Development Forum in two years. Just over three months since Pakistan’s devastating monsoon floods, it was a chance for the Government of Pakistan and the international community to take stock of the challenges facing […]
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17th November 2010
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Taking on the rotating EU Presidency for the first time is a huge challenge (even with the reduced Presidency role following the Lisbon Treaty). And it’s a massive learning opportunity too. Thankfully there are many friends standing by to help out at this difficult time and the UK is one of the foremost. On previous […]
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15th October 2010
Islamabad, Pakistan
Today is Blog Action Day, an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in writing about an important issue that affects us all. This year’s topic is water. This is a crucial matter for poor Pakistan. Tragically, the country has too much water right now as it struggles to recover from unprecedented and devastating floods. […]
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