Public diplomacy

Skip to content Leigh Turner Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna Part of UK in Austria 27th April 2020 Vienna, Austria Why now is the time to take global action against COVID-19 Coronavirus or COVID-19 has been shaping the reality of life and work in Austria, the UK and around the world. As we are all trying to do our bit to fight the spread of the virus (stay at home!) and adapt where possible to a new normal, I think it’s worth reminding ourselves that in order to find a long term solution to the threat posed by the virus we have to work together as a global community. We face an urgent need to develop, manufacture and equitably distribute therapeutics, diagnostics and a vaccine. No country can do this on its own. Without cooperation on this, our eventual recovery will take longer, be more uncertain and bring greater risk of repeated outbreaks. As an international, open and densely populated coun..

Director of the British Foreign Policy Group, Sophia Gaston, wrote for the Telegraph, arguing that Coronavirus should not stop us defining and championing Global Britain. In the piece, Sophia argues: “There have been many policy casualties of the coronavirus pandemic, but one of the most significant shifts in the UK Government’s focus has been the postponement of the Integrated Review of our Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. The Review had finally swung into motion and was hurtling ahead at break-neck speed, the government mindful that international goodwill towards the Global Britain project could not be sustained indefinitely on a handful of aspirational speeches. In the four years since the referendum on our membership of the European Union, Britain’s foreign policy has existed largely in..

Skip to content Robin Barnett Ambassador to Ireland, Dublin Part of Coronavirus (COVID-19) 22nd April 2020 Dublin, Ireland Living in LockdownI wanted to reflect on the Coronavirus crisis, the tragic loss of so many lives around the world and on actions that need to be taken to defeat the virus. The enormity of what is happening is incredibly difficult to come to terms with. Just like everybody else, I have never known anything like this despite spending 40 years as a diplomat and living through such historic ruptures as the end of the Cold War. The impact is dramatic at every level, including personal. I too am separated from friends and loved ones. I too miss the social things that we all enjoy so much. But the stay home policy is successfully beginning to halt the spread of the Coronavirus both here in Ireland and in the UK. Most importantly, it is easing the pressure on the heroic health service professionals in both our countries. They are true celebrities. And they have been supp..

16 Apr Conspiracy Theories in the COVID-19 Crisis and their Social & Geopolitical Consequences Posted at 08:47h in UK Perspectives by Sophia Gaston There are a number of historically unique factors about the moment at which the COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the world, and it certainly arrived at an especially delicate moment in the trajectory of Western liberal democracies. Socially and politically, the pandemic is being experienced in the aftermath of a number of developments that have chipped away at some of the traditional tools of governance and preconditions of cohesive societies. Of particular alarm has been the prominent role of conspiracy theories – which have been gaining an increasing degree of visibility and influence in Western political life over recent years. The rise of social media, the growth in anti-establishment political movements, the declining levels of trust in institutions, and the rising competition between social gr..

27 Mar COVID-19: The Soft Power Struggle Posted at 10:20h in UK Perspectives by Sophia Gaston COVID-19 touches on every aspect of geopolitics, and every unresolved tension of international relations is being ruthlessly exposed to the light of day. While many defence forces are being called upon for domestic responsibilities, the centrality of soft power in this crisis cannot be in dispute. This great test of international cooperation has revealed some harsh truths about the fragility of global alliances – particularly in the West. And the asymmetrical nature of the spread of the disease, and the national responses to seek to contain it, compels varied risks and opportunities for international reputations. As its origin and former epicentre, China found itself on the frontline of the battle in January and February. Across the world, governments and their citizens looked on with horror as the extent of its efforts to suppress and conceal the s..

Skip to content Mare Janevska Manager and Chef at British Residence Guest blogger for UK in North Macedonia Part of UK in North Macedonia 16th April 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia Local traditions and recipes for Orthodox Easter My name is Mare Janevska and I am the Manager and Chef of the British Residence in Skopje. It was an honour to be chosen for this position that I have been working in for 13 years now. I am working on both positions in parallel but the role as Chef at the Residence is my favourite as it is creative, which makes me happy and everyone should work on what makes them happy. For me cooking is a passion, love, respect, emotion and I find inner peace in the dishes I am preparing and cooking for the guests at the Residence. When I see everyone happy and satisfied, I know that I have accomplished my goals and job well done. I have been privileged to cook for high level visitors to North Macedonia such as Ministers, Prime Minister and also members of the Royal Family. I a..

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has ushered in a new age of global diplomacy. Asian countries are trying, with some success, to turn...

China’s leaders are looking to turn the COVID-19 crisis to their advantage, but their task will be much harder than in 2008—and not only...

Skip to content Sian MacLeod UK Ambassador to Serbia 8th April 2020 Belgrade, Serbia A Tale of Two Hospitals Since the world became aware of the new deadly coronavirus COVID19 spreading rapidly among the population of a Chinese province, governments around the world have been planning and preparing to deal with its expected effects. But few people can have anticipated the scale of devastation and disruption that this virus would soon be bringing to communities around the world. Like coloured dye dripped into a bowl of water, the virus has spread even to the most remote corners of the world. Working in a global network everyday I read personal accounts of the impact upon great powers, European neighbours, and the tiniest island communities in the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. As a British diplomat working at home in Belgrade and in constant touch with my Embassy and colleagues across the Western Balkans I follow developments in the UK and Serbia particularly closely. My Embassy and ..

Skip to content Leigh Turner Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna 6th April 2020 Vienna, Austria Getting 391 British Nationals home safely A plane approaches London Heathrow, appearing to grow larger as it nears the runway. As British airways flight BA0961 lands safely, a collective sigh of relief is heard at the British Embassy in Vienna. In the last two weeks, the British Embassy in Vienna has helped 391 people get out of ski resorts in Austria to return home to the UK. This is part of the Foreign Office’s huge international task of getting travelling British nationals home, as international transport routes close. On 3-5 April, a group of 129 seasonal ski workers, including British and Irish nationals, returned to the UK from quarantine areas in Tyrol and Vorarlberg. To do this, they needed to register with the embassy for special permission to leave a quarantine zone. We then worked closely with..