UK in Bosnia and Herzegovina

On Monday, the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council agreed to bring into force the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Bosnia and Herzegovina, seven years after it was originally signed. This is a big deal. For seven years, this country has been at a standstill on its European path. But now it is moving forwards again. […]

I am, of course, at an immediate disadvantage in writing a blog about the role and representation of women in politics and society on the inescapable basis that I am not one.  But I am a son, a brother, a husband, a father and a colleague to strong, creative and clever women, and that leaves […]

Last week I got back from NATO Headquarters in Brussels. In January, the UK took over from Turkey as the lead NATO Embassy here in Sarajevo, so I went to learn about NATO’s priorities and challenges in our fast-changing and increasingly complex world. There’s a lot on NATO’s plate as it configures itself to respond […]

When Peter Sorensen was asked in his final press conference as the EU Special Representative what should be the priorities for the future, his reply was simple: “Jobs, jobs and jobs.” It’s difficult to disagree. Unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina is the highest in Europe at around 30%, with youth unemployment – according to the […]

Today, I will be flying home to the UK for Christmas to join Caroline and the children, who are already there. It will be my first proper visit home since I arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in July, and I’m looking forward to catching up with family and friends. Looking back through my diary, […]

Next Wednesday is the 64th World Human Rights Day. While Bosnia and Herzegovina has achieved important progress in a number of areas, it still has a long way to go to provide all of its citizens with their basic rights and dignities. Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights is the right to […]

Since I took up my post in Bosnia and Herzegovina this summer I have taken every opportunity to travel around the country. The beauty and diversity of the rural landscape is the first thing that strikes the newcomer, and from every highway one can see the distinctive, beehive-shaped haystacks and crops and livestock tended by […]

People in Bosnia and Herzegovina like to complain about politics. It’s almost a national sport, on a par with football, basketball or handball. Some of these criticisms are justified; some aren’t. But what is not always sufficiently recognised is that it’s not just up to the politicians to resolve the country’s problems. It’s the same […]

Remembrance week is always a poignant time of year for me, as someone who has spent most of their career supporting the UK’s Armed Forces on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who have died – friends or strangers – and the families that they left behind are never far from my thoughts. On Sunday, […]

One of the advantages of being a relatively youthful Ambassador is that, during the three months I have been here, I have met a lot of young people. Many have been well-educated, articulate and talented young men and women with a huge amount to offer to the future of this country. But when I ask […]