Luxembourg on the World Map

I was excited to meet Veronique Dockendorf, Deputy Director for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Luxembourg at a lunch hosted by the Polish Embassy for all interns. Having recently won a seat on the UN Security Council it was an exciting time for Luxembourg on more than just the EU side of politics. It was interesting to hear about Luxembourg’s campaign for a seat on the Security Council, Dockendorf mentioned that it was a hard fought campaign, particularly because Luxembourg narrowly missed out by one vote in the first round of elections, which would have ensured their immediate success. She stressed that despite its small size, Luxembourg had contributed actively in UN missions to the DRC, the Gaza strip and off the coast of Somalia, to stop piracy. Indeed, even so early on in its new role, Luxembourg has already been active with Australia in drafting a statement to boost aid access into Syria, which had so far only approved 12 humanitarian organisations in the relief effort.

With the Polish Ambassdor to Luxembourg and Veronique Dockendorf

It was also fascinating to hear about her career in the Foreign Service and as an attaché of the permanent representation to the UN. We covered topics as diverse as finance, Luxembourg’s high carbon footprint (in part due to fuel tourism from Germany, Belgium and France) and equally interesting were her thoughts prior to the elections in Luxembourg- would the CSV win and if so, who might they form a coalition with. Needless to say, as a civil servant, she was hesitant to be more forthcoming about the result!

With Veronique Dockendorf and other embassy interns before the lunch

October is traditionally a very busy month for the British Embassy and for the British government as both are preparing for EU council meetings that take place in Kirchberg, a little outside of Luxembourg City. I was able to join UKREP visits officer Ian Phipps to see the council buildings, the offices that the UK holds there and talk to him a little about the meetings themselves. Having already attended economic and foreign affairs briefings at Luxembourg ministries in the weeks prior to his visit, it was interesting to talk about how information from these briefings relayed by our Ambassadors back to Ministers in the UK would be used to prepare the British position at the General Affairs and Foreign Affairs councils. 

     

                                               The EU Council building in Kirchberg

The RAF Wings weekend, working with and for Luxembourgers

The RAF Wings Reception at the Residence... hope they all have labels on the inside!

Whilst much of the work at the Embassy does focus on political reporting and providing information to Ministers in London, some of the most significant work that we carry out is in fact reaching out to involve Luxembourgers.

As part of the annual RAF association weekend, the Ambassador laid wreaths at a 1943 Halifax crash site in Macherwald woods and at the commune of Bech. Many of the local community came out to see the memorial and at the reception held in Bech, it was not only fascinating to see objects recovered from the crash sites, but also to hear the stories of Luxembourgers who had been there during the War and see them exchanging these stories with current and past RAF officers.

Unveiling the plaque at the Halifax crash site

The Ambassador laying a wreath in Bech

 

The Ambassador also held a reception for the RAF Association at the Residence and each year has taken the opportunity to present the Luxembourg National Military Museum with British World War II items to put on display. Last year she presented an RAF officer’s uniform to the museum, but this year they put in a rather unusual request for World War II shell cases.

RAF Coningsby

 

Eventually some were found at the Republic of Ireland National Artillery School and made a lengthy journey via Northern Ireland, Brize Norton, Brussels and then, finally, on to Luxembourg and the Embassy basement where I discovered them! It certainly isn’t everyday that you open an official bag to find six large shell cases and two grenades.  

WWII artefacts in Bech

 

Many thanks to all who came to the RAFA weekend, and to the guides and scouts who did such a wonderful job looking after the guests at the Residence reception.

Air Marshall Sturley briefing the Guides and Scouts before the Reception 

Wëllkomm to Luxembourg

I jumped at the chance to take up an internship at the British Embassy in Luxembourg. What is not to love about living in the heart of Europe? Luxembourg is famously close to Belgium, France and Germany... But what about Luxembourg itself? The closer the dates of my internship approached, the more I realised how little I knew about Luxembourg and Luxembourgish culture, let alone exactly what role the British Embassy and British culture played in it. Hopefully this blog will help to answer some of these questions and give a flavour of life in Luxembourg and in an overseas diplomatic mission from the perspective of a 23 year old British intern.

I was excited to hear from Ambassador Walpole that the British Embassy here was extremely active and that there were lots of exciting local events that we would be part of as well as being involved with ministers coming over from the UK to take part in EU council meetings. However, when Alice mentioned that I would be surprised during my time here by the variety of things that Embassy did, I don't think I was even remotely prepared for what the first week had in store...

Aside from getting to know 'Team Luxembourg' this first week was a full on introduction to life as part of an Embassy. The first day was spent preparing for a unique and special event that would bring the British Embassy in touch with a wide spectrum of Luxembourgers. To celebrate the birth of Prince George of Cambridge, the Embassy had been in touch with the families of all babies born in Luxembourg on the same day to invite them to a tea party at the Residence. In total 17 of the 19 babies born on the 22nd of July were welcomed to the Residence with their families for an afternoon of photos, cakes and celebrations. The families all signed a card was subsequently sent to the young British Prince and each child was given a special commemorative Emma Bridgewater mug to mark the occasion- what could be more quintessentially British?

Beautiful Emma Bridgewater mugs

The event couldn't have been a better introduction into Luxembourg's famously multicultural society. Of the families present there were those of Portuguese, Swedish, Russian, French and Luxembourgish descent.

Ambassador Walpole with the babies!

Doing my first press round up the next day was exciting- it seemed as though lots of Luxembourgish press including the Wort, Le Quotidien, the Chronicle and ANGLOinfo had caught our 'baby fever' too!