Month: July 2014

The XX International Conference was held in Melbourne

UK Parliamentarians attend XX International AIDS Conference

Pamela Nash MP and Lord Fowler, in their capacities as Chair and Vice Chair of the APPG on HIV and AIDS, attended the XX International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia with support from BGIPU. The 2014 Conference provided an excellent opportunity to meet with activists and HIV/AIDS specialists active throughout the world, in addition to meeting with other parliamentarians from across the globe to share their experiences of tackling HIV/AIDS, including discussing the political barriers faced in many countries.

BGIPU Delegation in Discussions with the Georgian Foreign Minster Dr Maia Panjikidze .JPG

Georgia – part of the wider European family?

While Ukraine’s troubles have captured world attention, another of Russia’s neighbours which suffered two annexations only six years ago – Georgia – has almost escaped notice. Every UK visitor to Georgia, however, is reminded of that country’s long-standing application to join not only the EU but NATO. Georgia has lost 29 soldiers in Afghanistan where it has made the largest human contribution to ISAF of any non-NATO country.

Meeting with Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle

Armenian delegation seeks deeper engagement with UK

BGIPU hosted a parliamentary delegation from the National Assembly of Armenia to Westminster from 7-11 July 2014. The visit was a key opportunity to engage with parliamentary counterparts from Armenia on its perspectives on key regional peace and security issues and explore ways to further advance bilateral relations. The programme, including visits to Oxford and Reading, also provided the delegation with opportunities to learn more about the scrutiny and oversight functions of UK Parliamentary Committees, explore education issues and learn about the constituency role of MPs.