Lecture | Seminar
(CANCELLED) The UK, the Netherlands, and Ukraine. How strong bilateral relations are crucial for multilateral diplomacy
- Mr.Keith Allan, Deputy UK Ambassador at the British Embassy in the Hague
- Date
- Friday 13 October 2023
- Time
- Series
- European Union Seminar Series
- Location
-
Gravensteen
Pieterskerkhof 6
2311 SR Leiden - Room
- 0.11
Unfortunately for personal reasons the Deputy UK Ambassador to the Netherlands will not be able to join us for the EU Seminar on Friday 13 October. We are working to find another date for the lecture and will keep you updated.
The geopolitical landscape is shifting fast, war has returned to Europe, China’s sphere of influence is expanding, and international multilateral structures are being challenged. What does this mean for a British diplomat posted to The Hague? The city of International Peace and Justice plays a pivotal role in multilateral diplomacy, combined with a relationship as broad and close as the UK-Dutch one and you’re looking at an exciting, hands-on posting where you often don’t know what will land on your desk next. The war in Ukraine has created a seismic shift that has impacted almost every area diplomacy, from defence to trade, energy to culture and the arts. In multilateral fora the war has divided assemblies and raised difficult questions on accountability and international law. Allies and partners like the UK and the Netherlands are now working closer than ever to ensure that multilateral organisations are able to continue to protect and promote the international rules and norms that help keep the world safe, peaceful, and prosperous. Deputy UK Ambassador Keith Allan will explain what all of this means for the work of UK diplomats.
About the speaker
Mr. Keith Allan has been Deputy UK Ambassador at the British Embassy in The Hague since August 2023. Prior to his posting in the Netherlands he was Minister Counsellor at the British Embassy in Kyiv. Mr. Allan joined the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1988, and has enjoyed a range of interesting postings around the world. He has previously served as HM High Commissioner to Mauritius, HM Ambassador to Turkmenistan, and HM Consul General in St Petersburg (Russia) and Miami (USA).
