24th December 2018
This weekend the UK and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) lost a dear friend, with the passing of Lord Ashdown. ‘Paddy’ was a nickname from childhood, but one he continued to use throughout his life, and by which he will be remembered across BiH. Much has already been written about his powerful contribution to British politics, […]
10th December 2018
Anes Osmic and Ivana Bilic, young activists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, use theatre as a means of dialogue and believe that only through working together and communicating openly can one solve issues at the local level and build a common future. They cooperated on a play “Yellow Boots” performed at Sarajevo SARTR on 8 December […]
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7th December 2018
9 December is International Day for the Fight Against Corruption. No one in Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to be told about the damage done by this poison. Since I took over as British Ambassador here three months ago, it is probably the single subject I have heard most about in my conversations with people. Corruption […]
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13th November 2018
Two weeks ago I appeared on N1. Zvonko Komsic asked me some tough and insightful questions, particularly on the political situation and what BiH politicians should do on the EU path. To several of the questions I gave the same answer – ‘They need to form governments quickly, and get on with reforms’. This repetition […]
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5th September 2018
On Sunday 7th October, citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will get the chance to decide the course of their country for the next four years. The United Kingdom, as a guarantor of the Dayton Peace Agreement and a firm supporter of BiH, has both an obligation and a strong desire to see BiH make […]
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27th October 2017
Autumn has come, and so my wife Caroline is busy organising this year’s Diplomatic Winter Bazaar, BiH’s biggest charity event. Last year, around 15,000 people crowded into Skenderija to eat, drink, play and shop at the stands manned by 40 Embassies as well as over 70 local NGOs and businesses. Thanks to generous sponsorship, including […]
10th August 2017
Have you heard about Chevening? It’s the UK’s world-beating scholarship programme for international students. It allows you to study for a Masters degree of your choice at any university in the UK. You do the work, and we cover the costs, including your tuition fees and travel costs. We even pay for your living expenses! […]
7th August 2017
Normally, we go back to the UK for a few weeks during the summer, to catch up with family and friends. But this will be our last full summer in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as I’m due to leave in August next year. So this year, we decided to spend some time discovering some new parts […]
16th December 2016
BiH has a lot of history, and a lot of different versions of it. But it’s worrying to see how the histories of war and of peace are being re-written to promote the political agendas of different groups. The newspapers are full of arguments about the past. Much less attention is paid to the future. […]
10th August 2016
The UK’s role, together with Germany, in initiating the EU’s new approach in BiH is pretty well known. Perhaps less well known is the role that we are continuing to play in supporting the implementation of the Reform Agenda which is at the heart of that approach. The Reform Agenda isn’t ours, it’s yours. It wasn’t imposed. It […]
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