Global conversations
This article is part of a series of guest blogs contributed by Brits who have lived and worked in Laos, or who have other interesting links to Laos. I was posted to the British Embassy in Vientiane in 1959, only four years after the Embassy had first been set up. It was a very small mission. Only an Ambassador and two diplomatic staff. I arrived in the unusual circumstances that I had actually … Read more »Laos through my eyes – Lord Wilson
This article is part of a series of guest blogs contributed by Brits who have lived and worked in Laos, or who have other interesting links to Laos. My parents were both born in Laos but came to the UK in the 1970s. I was born in Hackney in East London. Having visited Laos twice (once 8 years ago and most recently earlier this year), I am increasingly interested in finding out … Read more »Laos through my eyes – Anne Keothavong
The following is a guest post by Colin Cotterill. In 1976, like Captain James Cook on his ill-fated trip to Hawaii, I set off from Blighty in search of adventure and never came back. Oh, perhaps the occasional Christmas or odd publishing junket, but I knew I’d never be taking advantage of the over-sixties London Transport bus pass. Instead, I discovered Asia and was not clubbed to death by the … Read more »Laos through my eyes
We officially held our first day of work in the new British Embassy building on Monday! After months of preparing for this occasion, everyone was very happy to move into the new building with nearly all of the staff in place just days before the official opening of the Embassy on 2 April. After a 27-year absence, the Embassy will re-open with a week of celebrations beginning with a garden … Read more »Home Sweet Home
The last few weeks have been particularly busy for us as we move into the final phase of our Embassy set-up. The renovation works on our new Embassy building (the former Australian Embassy building on Rue Nehru) are on schedule – if you are in Vientiane you may have noticed we have re-painted the building to a rather more subdued colour than previously and the perimeter wall will soon follow … Read more »Nearly there!
It has been a few weeks since my last blog so time for an update on our progress in re-establishing our Embassy in Vientiane and on what we have been doing more broadly. As for our Embassy set-up, I think it important to highlight that, while we had the formal opening of the Embassy by our Foreign Secretary, William Hague, on 5 November, we still have a lot of work … Read more »Embassy set-up progressing well
Phew, what a week! A visit by our Foreign Secretary, William Hague, the Asia Europe Summit and the formal opening of our new Embassy in Vientiane all in the space of two days! This is what we have been preparing in the last few weeks and I’m pleased to say it all went well. The Foreign Secretary arrived early on Monday 5 November (Bonfire Night in the UK!) and went … Read more »That was the week that was
The Foreign Secretary announced in April 2012 his intention to re-open our Embassy to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (closed in 1985). Colleagues at the FCO in London have pretty much moved heaven and earth since then to make it happen. I arrived in Vientiane on 12 October, just two months after I received the good news that I had been appointed British Ambassador. I then presented my credentials to … Read more »Opening the British Embassy in Vientiane