25th November 2010
Sports of all kinds are popular in Ukraine. I’ve blogged before about that fact that at my 1:1 lunches, some of Ukraine’s top decision-makers are ready to have a quick game of table-tennis (a trend which continues – Ed) and about Kyiv’s fishing frenzy. So it’s an honour to have to lunch at the residence […]
23rd November 2010
There’s nothing like meeting lively young people to fuel your optimism about a country. So I’m delighted to accept an invitation from Kyiv School No.92 to meet English language students of the 9th and 10th forms. I come away full of confidence in the intellectual capacity, dynamism and enthusiasm of young people in Ukraine. What […]
17th November 2010
Ukraine and the European Union made good progress in October during the latest round of negotiations on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA). Another round is due in December: both sides are hoping it will go equally well, with a view to concluding the DCFTA possibly as early as mid-2011. Conclusion of a […]
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16th November 2010
How does the life expectancy of the average Ukrainian compare with the world average – or that of any other country? To find out, check out this brilliant World Bank web-site. All you have to do is to click on “world” or on the country of your choice in the list on the left-hand side […]
15th November 2010
I often host events in Kyiv highlighting and promoting the growing number of young Ukrainians who are obtaining top quality academic degrees through studying in UK universities or through distance programmes, including MBAs which are delivered through UK-Ukrainian partnerships. But we recently hosted a British Council event designed to promote the equally important area of […]
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12th November 2010
The British and Canadian embassies in Kyiv organised a short ceremony at the Park of Glory on 11 November to mark Remembrance Day. There was a good turnout. The ceremony, which included prayers, poems, the Act of Remembrance, the Last Post, a two minute silence and the laying of wreaths, took place under a clear […]
11th November 2010
I was recently privileged to attend the Champions League match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Arsenal at the splendid Donbass Arena in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. As with all Champions League and Europa League matches in Ukraine, the embassy put in place consular arrangements including a small team travelling from Kyiv to Donetsk. Representatives of the Metropolitan Police also came […]
11th November 2010
When I first arrived in Moscow on my posting to Russia in December 1992 I had a terrific view from my 13th-floor window of a sea of apartment blocks, beyond which a blood-red sun sank towards the dark horizon sometime in mid-afternoon. As darkness fell, I was astonished to see that almost every single light […]
10th November 2010
Several Ukrainian friends have asked me recently why I am wearing a small, red flower – a poppy – on my jacket lapel. It’s because the United Kingdom together with other Commonwealth nations will commemorate Remembrance Day on November 11th. The poppy is the symbol of this day. The practice of wearing a flower dates […]
29th October 2010
People in Kyiv love fishing. Whether in the summer, with blow-up boats dotting the Dnieper or in the winter with stoic mummified forms monitoring blow-holes in the frozen river, fishermen (sic) are everywhere. It’s no surprise, then, to find that British companies producing fishing gear are making a big impact in Ukraine. When I visit […]