UK Ambassadors to increase promotion of UK Business Abroad

UK ambassadors will take on greater responsibilities for promoting UK business abroad, the Government has said.

A fundamental change in job description will see the UK’s international representatives cultivate trade relations both in their country of operation and in the UK in order to boost international business links.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has identified the role that UK business leaders can have on an ambassadorial level, shaking up the traditional remit of British embassies across the world in order to send out a new message to developing economic powers such as Brazil, Russia, India and China.

UK business will also be represented on a managerial level at a number of key embassies as part of wider plans to alert the international business community that Britain is ‘open for business’.

The Government has announced the introduction of a new “joint commercial taskforce” in Whitehall which will be tasked with delivering on the “ambitious agenda for growth and prosperity” that has been laid down by the coalition Government.

Andrew Cahn, Chief Executive, UK Trade & Investment, in a joint statement with Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) Director General  Europe and Globalisation Nick Baird, said: “This is a tremendous opportunity to put commercial work at the heart of our foreign policy and ensure the whole of the FCO is working with UKTI to meet our commercial objectives.

“The aim of the Task Force is to ensure that the FCO and UKTI, together with the rest of government, raise our games to deliver an ambitious agenda for growth and prosperity.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity to put commercial work at the heart of our foreign policy and ensure the whole of the FCO is working with UKTI to meet our commercial objectives.

“The aim of the Task Force is to ensure that the FCO and UKTI, together with the rest of government, raise our games to deliver an ambitious agenda for growth and prosperity.”

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