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29/07/1997
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FCO ON-LINE

INTERNET SERVICE OF THE
FOREIGN & COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, LONDON

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is the British Government department responsible for overseas relations and foreign affairs, through our headquarters in London and our Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates throughout the world. We have a unique worldwide spread of economic & political interests and a global foreign policy to match, based on our membership of a wide range of international bodies and a worldwide diplomatic presence.


Human Rights into the new CenturySpeech by the Foreign Sec, Key Theme page

Latest News

'FCO ON-LINE' is updated several times daily, with a range of news and information material, including the FCO Daily Bulletin, issued at 1200GMT each day. If you are looking for a recent speech, transcript or publication, check here first. Bookmark this page for quick access to our latest information!

Key Foreign Policy Themes

In exchange for securing sovereignty over the whole of Hong Kong on 30 June 1997, China gave Britain a remarkable series of detailed undertakings about Hong Kong's future, reflecting the principles of 'one country, two systems' and of 'Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong'. Our page on 'Britain and Hong Kong' has multimedia clips of the handover and all recent British policy statements. Other themed pages cover 'Britain in the European Union' and 'Transatlantic Relations', with others to follow soon.

Special events in the UK 1997/98

Commonwealth Heads of Government will meet in Edinburgh in October 1997; London will host the second Asia-Europe Meeting in March 1998, with leaders of the G7 nations meeting in Birmingham in June. The UK will also hold the Presidency of the EU in the first half of 1998. Look to 'FCO ON-LINE' for details of official coverage of these events on the Internet, coming soon.

Consular & Visa Services

Whether you're travelling to Kenya, Croatia or the Costa del Sol, 'FCO ON-LINE' provides information on over 120 countries to help you travel safely, including contact details for British diplomatic missions abroad. For those seeking entry clearance (visas) for the UK we offer the full range of application forms for you to download and send to your nearest visa-processing mission.

About the Foreign & Commonwealth Office

What is FCO's mission statement? How are we organised? Who are our Ministers? What are their responsibilities? Answers to these Frequently Asked Questions and many more can be found on-line. If a career with us appeals, have a look at our recruitment literature on-line!

Commercial Work Overseas

More than a third of frontline FCO staff time is devoted to helping British companies to develop their export and investment opportunities abroad, and to attracting inward investment to the UK. 'FCO ON-LINE' will have information on FCO's role in trade promotion, and our partnerships with bodies including Overseas Trade Services and the Invest in Britain Bureau.

Reference Library

'FCO ON-LINE' offers an extensive reference section, including lists of all UK foreign policy speeches since 1995, our output of Background Briefs, information on international treaties for which the UK is depositary, and access to the UK government-wide search engine. If you cannot find the material you require, 'FCO ON-LINE' has links to many other UK, European and international resources which may help.

This service is maintained by the Information Department of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London in conjunction with numerous other public and policy departments. It was launched on 1 May 1995, and is updated on a daily basis. Readers with comments on the service, or on the material which it contains, may submit them using our feedback form (available soon). Please note that e-mail feedback cannot be treated as official correspondence.

Crown copyright applies to all material unless otherwise stated.