Exploring the UK government’s foreign policy in New York
Deputy Ambassador Patrick Davies & British Consul General Danny Lopez discuss FCO priorities with members of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy.
Deputy Ambassador Patrick Davies discusses his career and UK foreign policy priorities.
On Thursday 16 January, the British Consulate General hosted members of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP), a non-profit organisation that seeks to foster the next generation of foreign policy leaders, to discuss the UK government’s current foreign policy priorities. In a free-ranging discussion, Deputy Ambassador Patrick Davies OBE and British Consul General Danny Lopez, talked about their experiences in the private and public sectors and how they inform their current work in New York and Washington, DC.
The Consul General highlighted the strength of the trade relationship between the UK and the US and the potential benefits of a robust Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), including the creation of 740,000 jobs across the US and an average increase of 33% in exports from individual states to the EU. Read more about TTIP in the UK government’s report TTIP and the Fifty States: Jobs and Growth from Coast to Coast.
The Deputy Ambassador, whose career has included postings in the Middle East and North Africa Department of the FCO as well as Tehran, talked about the UK government’s work towards peace and long-term stability in the Middle East and North Africa and its efforts to resolve concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme. He also highlighted the FCO’s work to support British nationals overseas and in counter-terrorism.
Members of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy ask questions to Consul General Danny Lopez and Deputy Ambassador Davies.
In a lively Q&A session that followed this presentation, Consul General Lopez and Deputy Ambassador Davies highlighted several further topics, including the government’s work to support the growth of Tech City and the technology sector in Britain, and the UK’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria.