20th January 2017 Skopje, North Macedonia
Во висините на Шар Планина воздухот има вкус како шампањ. По пет часови насладување, бевме уморни, но среќни од нашата прошетка. Драго ми е што сум повторно назад во Македонија. Последен пат пешачев на Шар Планина пред девет години. Тогаш, додека служев како британски амбасадор во Скопје прошетките како оваа денес ми беа прибежиште број […]
Read more on Записи во дневникот 26 август 2027 година | Reply
25th June 2015 Skopje, North Macedonia
I leave Macedonia today after a fascinating three years as Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Skopje. There have been many developments across the political and economic spectrum during that time. I have had the pleasure of working with a dynamic team within this Embassy, and developed our cooperation in the fields […]
Read more on Events and memories – Farewell from Christine | Reply
2nd June 2015 Skopje, North Macedonia
This is not a political slogan. It is the title of an exhibition that the UK Parliament is hosting in celebration of 800 years of Magna Carta. The exhibition commissioned nine artists to produce banners for the historic and beautiful Westminster Hall, celebrating key moments along our journey to modern democracy. If you are not able to visit it in person, you can see the exhibition […]
24th January 2015 Skopje, North Macedonia
Just past the eight-month marker as the no-longer-quite-so-new Ambassador, and having come through my first western-Christmas-New-Year-Orthodox-Christmas holiday season, I have been talking with colleagues and partners about the year ahead. Don’t worry, this blog is not about our business plan. It’s more about the UK-Macedonia bilateral relationship. Our two countries don’t enjoy the kind of […]
Read more on Thoughts for UK and Macedonia cooperation 2015 | Reply
18th October 2014 Skopje, North Macedonia
Just occasionally a diplomat’s work takes us into deeply emotional territory. That happened here this week with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s visit to Skopje. The IHRA (www.holocaustremembrance.com) exists to foster international cooperation to support Holocaust education, remembrance and research. The UK holds the Chair this year. And in that role Sir Andrew Burns (ex-FCO, […]
Read more on Journey into emotional territory – IHRA’s visit to Macedonia | Reply
3rd September 2014 Skopje, North Macedonia
There’s a moment of truth coming for the team organising the NATO summit in Wales. They will discover in the next couple of days whether the plans they have worked on for months now will fall into place. This is a complex dance. Delegations from over 60 countries and organisations, plus about 1500 media representatives, […]
6th August 2014 Skopje, North Macedonia
Just in case you thought diversity was a modern obsession, peddled by management consultants and politically correct Human Resources teams, here’s a quote from John Scotus Eriugena, Irish philosopher who lived 1200 years ago: ‘Beauty is unity in diversity.’ It took me a while in my career to understand the value of diversity. I really […]
27th June 2014
Earlier this week I was in London to address an in-house training programme of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on religion and foreign policy. The course is aimed at British diplomats, but also public servants from other government ministries; there were a number of participants this week from the Ministry of Defence, and on […]
10th December 2013 London, UK
As we mark Human Rights Day and celebrate the UK’s re-election to the UN Human Rights Council, it is worth reflecting upon how regional organisations can reinforce and complement the UN’s role in promoting and protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Last week I attended the annual Ministerial Council of the Organisation […]
22nd July 2013 London, UK
The Government today announced the publication of the first six reports of the Balance of Competences Review. They cover an overview of the single market, health, development co-operation and humanitarian aid, foreign policy, animal health and welfare and food safety, and taxation. They will be followed by another 26 reports between now and the end […]