21st March 2024
Forests in focus on International Day of Forests
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
19th March 2024
Russia – 25 years of broken hopes and smashed dreams
8th March 2024
Gender equality is non-negotiable
25th May 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
England fans are coming!
There’s growing excitement in England about the build-up to Euro 2012 in Ukraine. The British Embassy in Kyiv is working hard to ensure that the thousands of England fans we expect to visit during the championships are properly prepared for the visit with a “Know Before You Go” campaign. We’re also working hard to ensure […]
24th May 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
“We don’t have mango trees…”
On Saturday I was invited to the little village of Bhallah in the Punjab for the opening of a new road. I had never heard of Bhallah before, but it’s a village with lots of links to the UK. Councillor Mohammad Bhatti, MBE, comes from Bhallah. He moved to the UK in his 20s. He […]
24th May 2012 Beirut, Lebanon
Beauty and the beast: The Lebanese paradox
Monday marked 100 days until the London Paralympics. We had prepared a programme of events promoting the milestone, raising the profile of London and the UK, and encouraging greater focus on disability rights in Lebanon. But the disturbances of the weekend meant that we took a decision to focus on those instead. In a country […]
Read more on Beauty and the beast: The Lebanese paradox | Reply (5)
24th May 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Canberra’s 100th Anniversary
On 23 May 1912, exactly 100 years ago, the Australian government announced the winners of the competition to design the country’s new capital. I hosted a public lecture by the renowned architectural historian Alasdair McGregor, as the culmination of a series of Canberra Centenary lectures celebrating the 100th anniversary. Alasdair spoke about the controversies surrounding the choice […]
23rd May 2012 Athens, Greece
London calling
The Olympic Flame is in UK hands! On 17 May at the imposing restored marble Panathenaic Stadium, symbolically the venue for the first modern Olympic Games, the Olympic Torch completed its journey around Greece following the Lighting Ceremony at Ancient Olympic and was handed over to The Princess Royal. For me these events were emotional […]
23rd May 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Coming soon – Ukrainian Paralympic glory
21st May marked 100 days to go to the start of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. I’m here at the HQ of the Ukrainian National Paralympics Committee (NPC) in Kyiv for a press conference to mark the event, together with NPC President Valeriy Sushkevych; Simon Minty, a UK specialist on diversity and inclusivity; Sergiy Glushchenko, […]
Read more on Coming soon – Ukrainian Paralympic glory | Reply
23rd May 2012 Harare, Zimbabwe
"Green on blue" in Helmand – what the international media don’t tell you
So Chicago has come and gone and the outcome has ensured the international community’s commitment post 2014. The funding pledges for Afghan security forces have been made; the international community has signalled it is with Afghanistan for the long-term but reminded their public of why we are here; “ to stop it becoming a haven […]
Read more on "Green on blue" in Helmand – what the international media don’t tell you | Reply (3)
22nd May 2012 Warsaw, Poland
The GREAT British Olympics – Off to a GREAT start in Warsaw
Just hours after BA 2012 landed in Cornwall marking the official 70 day countdown and the start of the Olympic Torch relay round the UK the British Embassy was in action in one of Warsaw’s most prestigious parks. Teaming up with the British Council at the Warsaw Samsung Run we enjoyed a superb opportunity to […]
Read more on The GREAT British Olympics – Off to a GREAT start in Warsaw | Reply
22nd May 2012 Dublin, Ireland
Polish-British round table in Krakow
Guest blog by Iain Stewart, Head of Political at the British Embassy Warsaw. My name is Iain Stewart. I lead the political team within the UK Embassy in Warsaw. What does that mean? Our main role is to explain and promote UK government thinking on the EU and international agenda to a Polish audience. To […]
Read more on Polish-British round table in Krakow | Reply (1)
21st May 2012 Washington DC, USA
Celebrating Olympic values
The countdown clock in our Embassy tells me that the that the London 2012 opening ceremony is barely two months away. The Olympic Torch has begun its tour of the UK. All around the world, athletes are qualifying for their national teams. Here in the US, the first goosebump-raising, Morgan Freeman-voiced Olympics ad hit the […]