We’re at Kyiv’s exquisite Dynamo stadium, home of the legendary Dynamo Kyiv, for the first in a series of matches between a volunteer team from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and teams representing the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Defence; and Interior Ministry.
With Euro 2012 just a year away, the embassy has been promoting close working links between British institutions and Ukrainian partners. Our goal is to share UK and Ukrainian experience of inter-agency coordination, security and public order management and communications ahead of Euro 2012.
This has included a series of projects ranging from hard-edged counter-terrorism to cutting edge diversity training.
To mark the one-year deadline and to deepen our links with key Ukrainian Euro 2012-related bodies, including on the all-important consular side, we hold a reception at the residence for partners as diverse as the Interior Ministry, the SBU (Security Service), MOD, MFA, supporters’ groups, the Ukrainian Football Federation, UEFA, the police, and the Euro 2012 host cities.
The visit of the FCO football team is timed to coincide with this.
Opening the reception: 23 June, to mark the one-year deadline and to deepen our links with key Ukrainian Euro 2012-related bodies, including on the all-important consular side, we hold a reception at the residence for partners as diverse as the Interior Ministry, the SBU (Security Service), Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, supporters’ groups, the Ukrainian Football Federation, UEFA, the police, and the Euro 2012 host cities.
In the photo above (from left): Viktoria Lvovska (British Embassy’s Consular Team), Billy Bennet (British Embassy’s Consular Team), British Ambassador Leigh Turner, Iryna Ryzhenko (British Embassy’s Consular Team).
Guests of the reception listen to Leigh Turner’s welcome speech.
In the event the opening match is a thrilling 0:0 draw. Subsequent games are equally competitive, with both UK and Ukrainian sides acquitting themselves honourably (despite some injuries: sympathy to all concerned).
Our thanks go to the organisers; and we look forward to the real thing this time next year – with luck, including at least one team from the UK.
Thrilling game
More photos of FCO vs MFA football match you can find here
Leigh Turner has been the British Ambassador to Ukraine since June 2008. You can read all his blog entries at blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller/turnerenglish (in English) or blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller/turner/ (Ukrainian)
