Public diplomacy Archives

How “The adjoining house at the Lustig Prean Gasse” became the British Embassy 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 27th May 2020
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 May 2020 Vienna, Austria
How “The adjoining house at the Lustig Prean Gasse” became the British Embassy “The Ministry of Works may have ideas about office accommodation. I doubt whether it would be possible to extend the existing offices by building in the courtyard. Failing this, it might be possible to secure the adjoining house in the Lustig Prean Gasse (No.10), which is now divided into flats and which would be sufficiently large to accommodate all the services and the Consulate.”
We have recently published two blogs about our estate in Vienna. One considers how repeated changes in the name of the street on which the British Embassy is located, the Jaurésgasse, reflect Austria’s 20th Century history. A second explores how the historic 1875 residence was recovered from the National Socialist Flying Corps,..
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A Flood of (un)Kindness #KindnessMatters 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 21st May 2020
Skip to content Dr Keith Franklin
Nuclear Councellor, British Embassy Tokyo
21st May 2020 Japan
A Flood of (un)Kindness #KindnessMattersIt was the summer of 2007, and Gloucestershire had just experienced the worst floods in living memory.
In an ironic twist, the major impact on the area was a water shortage. The floods had overwhelmed the pumping station at the reservoir in Tewkesbury, and the water supply to hundreds of thousands of people in the surrounding towns had been cut off. It wasn’t restored for a full three weeks. The local authorities did an amazing job, supplying bottled water for drinking, and household water supplies were provided through ‘bowsers’, large plastic tanks, which looked a little like mini petrol tankers, parked in various places throughout the town.
My area was serviced by a large orange bowser. You can actually see it here on YouTube. I recorded it being filled on my “flip phone” in the early days of phones being able to record video, it is appalling quali..
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Local traditions during the holy month of Ramadan 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 20th May 2020
Skip to content Arijeta Hadzi-Hamza Ismaili
Executive Assistant to Her Majesty's Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission
Guest blogger for UK in North Macedonia
Part of UK in North Macedonia
20th May 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia
Local traditions during the holy month of Ramadan The holy month of Ramadan is about to end and I would like to send my very best wishes to all who are Muslims, who like me observed this special time of the year. Keeping yourself and loved ones well during Ramadan this year will mean adapting usual religious and cultural practices. Traditionally Ramadan is a time for communal prayer, spiritual reflection, meals with extended family and friends to break daily fasts.
However, this Ramadan is very different due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mosques remain closed to help stop the spread of the virus through social distancing, and of course, we must refrain from visiting friends and family. The fact is that the whole of the country is making huge efforts and sacr..
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Coronavirus and the long-term threat to democracy 0
- COVID-19, Public diplomacy
- 19th May 2020
25 Mar Coronavirus and the long-term threat to democracy

Posted at 12:02h
in UK Perspectives
by Flora Holmes

This week political systems the world over politics have seen a tightening of government-led lockdowns across the globe – from India, to France, to the United States, to deal with the threat of Coronavirus. On Monday, 23rd March, the UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in a televised address watched by 27 million that Britons were to only leave their homes to buy food, to exercise once a day, or to go to work if they are classified as key workers.

Such measures have been wildly popular amongst electorates. Indeed, a poll of 4,500 people by Redfield and Wilton revealed an overwhelming 90 percent of people in Italy, 88 percent in Spain and 87 percent in France support the strict social distancing measures. In the UK, a snap YouGov poll suggested that 93% of the public supports the latest UK lockdown measures – showing how seriou..
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Inclusion in uncertain times – IDAHOBIT 0
- DIPLO Blog, Public diplomacy
- 17th May 2020
Skip to content Dominic Otway
Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy Skopje
Guest blogger for UK in North Macedonia
Part of UK in North Macedonia
17th May 2020 Skopje, North Macedonia
Inclusion in uncertain times – IDAHOBIT Two things struck me when I was asked to write this week’s blog marking the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on 17 May.
First, it reminded me how much the world has changed since February. I’m thinking of then because it was the last public event I hosted, the day before the first Coronavirus case was reported in North Macedonia. And it was with groups and societies representing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people here. We planned to publicise the meeting at the time, but I got distracted by unfolding developments.. and soon it felt that much of what we discussed had been overtaken as events (including how to mark IDAHOBIT) and meetings need to be postponed until we can meet safely again. Today is a good t..
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A village in Guatemala named after Serbia in gratitude for assistance during the epidemic 0
- "Classic " Diplomacy, Public diplomacy, Serbia in my heart, Serbian Diplomacy
- 13th May 2020
A village in Guatemala has been named after Serbia as a token of gratitude for the assistance extended to its locals by Honorary Consul of the Republic of Serbia in Guatemala Marcela Arzu de Lozano. As a personal donation, she provided aid in the form of essential food products for around one hundred impoverished families
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