Tag Archives: HM Government

Fixture information

Date: Tuesday 8 August 2017

Venue: National Stadium Philip II, Skopje

Kick off time: 8:45pm (local time); 7:45pm (UK time)

Man Utd supporter meeting point/UEFA fan zone: Mother Theresa Memorial House, Macedonia Street

As well as this advice, check out our travel advice for Macedonia

Passports and visas

Please check your passport and visa details:

• you don’t need a visa to travel to Macedonia if you have a British Citizen passport; but your passport should be valid for at least three months from the date you enter the country
• if you have a different type of British nationality (other than ‘British Citizen’), check entry requirements with the Macedonian Embassy in London before you travel
• make sure you take out good travel insurance even if you’re only going for one night – it could save you a lot of money if you get into difficulties
• the British Embassy have been advised you may need your passport (and your match ticket) to gain entry to the stadium
• if you lose your passport, or have it stolen, contact the British Embassy on +389 2 3299 299 or by e-mail at consular.skopje@fco.gov.uk to book an appointment to apply for an Emergency Passport

Getting to National Stadium ‘Philip II’

• Philip II National Stadium is located in the city centre; you can find a map showing the location of the stadium here. The stadium holds 33 460 supporters fully seated
• The Stadium is located near the city centre, in the city park, 15 minutes walking distance from the Main Square and the city centre. It can be reached by bus No 8 and No 15a (get off at the City Park Stop. There is a paid parking lot next to the stadium.
• there will be a Manchester Utd fan zone at the Mother Theresa Memorial House in Macedonia Street (map)
• it is an 18 minute walk to the stadium from Mother Theresa Memorial House; you can find a map showing the route here
• taxis are plentiful and cheap by UK standards, although some vehicles may not be in very good condition. Most taxis are metered. Vehicles may vary in colour.
• avoid taxis parked outside hotels or in tourist areas; ask your hotel to call a taxi or flag down a passing taxi with a green ‘available’ light in the window
• a licensed taxi company operates at Skopje airport and has an official rank. Details are available at http://skp.airports.com.mk/default.aspx?ItemID=384

At the match

• Man Utd fans are seated in East Sector and blocks 5 & 6 in South Sector; All gates have disabled access
• access to the stadium can be slow, there will be ticket checks and body searches at three check points before entrance to the stadium
• to avoid missing the start of the match, you should get to the stadium early – entrances will open at 5:45pm
• anyone who is obviously drunk won’t be allowed into the stadium
• weapons, flares, fireworks, alcohol, cans, glass, bottle tops aren’t allowed in the stadium
• smoking is allowed at the stadium; lighters will be permitted
• beer in plastic containers will be available at the stadium

Helpful tips for local area

You should leave your passports in a hotel safe and use another form of ID: e.g. driving licence or the passport photocopy.

You should maintain at least the same level of personal security awareness as in the UK. As in any other city beware of pickpockets and bag snatchers at airports, railway stations, around the town centre and when using public transport – only carry what you need and leave spare cash and valuables in hotel safety deposits.

Tap water in Skopje is drinkable.

Contact the British Embassy in Skopje in case of a consular emergency:

British Embassy Skopje, Todor Aleksandrov No.165, Skopje 1000, Macedonia

Tel: +389 (2) 3299 299 (also for out of hours emergencies)

Office hours: Monday to Thursday, 8am to 4:30pm, Friday, 8am to 1pm

For more information please visit our website at https://www.gov.uk/government/world/macedonia

Emergency services numbers

Police: 192

Ambulance: 194

Fire brigade: 193

Further information

Follow the British Embassy on Twitter @ukinmacedonia for up to the minute travel advice.

Tourist information about Macedonia

Information about the city of Skopje

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The UK is leading the final global push to eliminate polio around the world for good, International Development Secretary Priti Patel announced today (Friday, 4 August 2017).

Polio was wiped out in the UK in the 1980s and there are more than 100,000 British survivors today. Globally, the wild poliovirus still exists in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan, with 8 new cases this year.

It is likely that the last new case of polio will be diagnosed this year, paving the way for the world to be certified polio-free in 2020.

Ms Patel has announced UK support to lead the last push needed to end polio. This will immunise 45 million children against the disease each year until 2020 – that is 80 children a minute.

Britain has had a long standing commitment to making polio the second human disease in history to be eradicated, after smallpox. As a direct result of the UK’s support to global efforts, which began in 1988, more than 16 million people are walking today who would have otherwise been paralysed, and the number of people contracting the disease has been reduced by 99.9%.

The UK’s support will:

• immunise up to 45 million children against the disease each year until 2020 – that is 80 children a minute;
• save more than 65,000 children from paralysis every year;
• help over 15,000 polio workers reach every last child with life-saving vaccines and other health interventions; and
• help save almost £2 billion globally by 2035, as health care systems are freed up from treating polio victims.

International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:

Polio has no place in the 21st Century. This devastating and highly infectious disease causes painful paralysis and is incurable – trapping the world’s poorest people in a cycle of grinding poverty.

The UK has been at the forefront of fighting global health threats, including polio, and our last push towards eradication by 2020 will save 45 million children from contracting this disease.

The world is closer than it ever has been to eradicating polio for good, but as long as just one case exists in the world, children everywhere are still at risk.

Now it is time for others to step up, follow Britain’s lead and make polio history.

Paralympian and broadcaster Ade Adepitan, who contracted polio as a baby, said:

The UK has done so much to help eradicate polio and UK aid contributions have delivered great results. The number of people around the world contracting polio has gone from thousands every year to just a few cases. We can see the finish line – and we can’t stop now.

The UK has always been a world leader. It can be part of our legacy to be at the forefront of the race to eradicate polio around the world. Let’s keep doing what we are doing and make the world a better place for future generations.

We are so close to eradicating polio. We need just one last push to make this disease history and change the world.

This last push will help break the relentless cycle of poverty for millions more children so they can live healthier lives, go to school and then get a job. It will mean more people contributing to their economy, which will help their countries to grow and become more prosperous.

This is good for Britain too: helping people become less reliant on UK aid in the long-term.

As the world becomes more interconnected, it is right that Britain acts to tackle those diseases, which pay no attention to national borders, so that we can stop them spreading and threatening us here at home. For example, defeating Ebola – the deadly epidemic that was only ever a plane ride away – ultimately protected British lives.

• International Development Secretary, Priti Patel, has today set out an additional £100 million ($130 million) to help end polio for good.

• It is possible that the last case of polio will be in 2017, and it takes three years without a single case to prove eradication; meaning the world could be certified polio-free in 2020.

• Pictures and human stories of DFID supported work in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria are available on Flickr; footage and hi-res pictures detailing the personal stories of vaccinators and survivors are available on Google Drive; and an animation, designed for social media use, can be found on DFID’s Facebook channel. For UK polio survivor and polio expert interviews, contact DFID Press Office.

• On 12 June 2017, during Rotary International’s Convention in Atlanta, global leaders recommitted to the importance of a polio-free world, and pledged financial support, totalling US$1.2 billion against the additional US$1.5 billion needed to finally eradicate polio.

• With the UK contribution, there is still a $170 million funding gap – it is time for others to step up.

• The UK’s £100 million support will be channelled through the World Health Organisation (WHO) to implement programmes of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).

• The GPEI is a public-private partnership led by national governments with 5 partners – WHO, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its goal is to eradicate polio worldwide.

• Polio eradication activities are implemented by UNICEF and WHO in partnership with countries and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

• Today’s announcement builds on the British Government’s commitment in 2013 to spend £300 million on polio between 2013 and 2018. Since 2013 our support has helped control outbreaks and limit the polio virus to only 3 countries – Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.

• This is a success story. Less than 30 years ago there were 350,000 cases in over 100 countries. Eradication will need continued intensive surveillance, high immunisation rates and rapid responses to any polio virus identified.

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Towns and cities across Northern England will be able to bid for a share of a new £15 million fund to help build a lasting regional legacy from the Great Exhibition of the North, Culture Secretary Karen Bradley announced today.

Projects could include opening a new tech start-up centre or renovating live music venues and should increase opportunities for people to experience, benefit and contribute to culture and creativity.

The Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund will make grants of up to £4 million available to support major culture and tech capital projects. The fund will build on the impact of next year’s exhibition and help pave the way for future investment in the Northern Powerhouse.

The Great Exhibition of the North will be held in Newcastle and Gateshead next summer. Set to be the biggest event in 2018, the £5 million government-funded exhibition will showcase the best of Northern art, design and innovation.

The immersive free exhibition will engage communities and businesses from across the region, and promote the bustling and thriving area to the world.

Find out more about the the Exhibition

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said:

This £15 million fund is a fantastic chance for towns and cities to develop inspirational projects that could have a transformative local effect – particularly in communities that have seen less cultural or creative investment in the past.

We want as many people as possible to benefit from the Great Exhibition of the North, and this fund will boost the Northern Powerhouse and help build a lasting legacy across the whole region.

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry said:

The North is a cultural powerhouse, as well as an economic one, and this £15 million fund will give a boost to the region’s vibrant culture and tech sectors.

We’ve already invested over £3.4 billion for projects to boost local economies in the Northern Powerhouse and this latest funding will help make sure the Great Exhibition of the North creates a legacy for years to come.

The first round of bids will be coordinated by Local Enterprise Partnerships in Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Humber, Lancashire, Leeds City Region, Liverpool City Region, North East, Sheffield City Region, Tees Valley, York and North Yorkshire and East Riding.

The successful projects will be announced in March 2018. A further round of funding may follow if all the available funds have not been committed.

Successful bids will encourage sustainable cultural and creative regeneration in the North of England and benefit areas that have historically had low levels of cultural and creative investment.

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Media enquiries

Please contact the DCMS News and Communications team on 020 7211 2210 or out of hours on 07699 751153.

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Thank you Mr President and thank you to Assistant-Secretary-General Zerihoun for your briefing which has made clear this morning that sanctions are a vital part of the Security Council’s arsenal. As article 41 of the United Nations Charter makes clear, they give real effect to our decisions – turning words in this Chamber into tangible actions against those who threaten international peace and security.

They are not our first resort, nor are they a measure that we can ever take lightly, but we know that sanctions work. They helped bring peace and security to countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone. They helped bring Iran to the negotiating table, which led in turn to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. And sanctions continue to play a vital role in the fight against Daesh and Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Syria, and beyond.

All of these examples, Mr President, illustrate not just the efficacy of sanctions, but the importance of using them together with the other tools at our disposal. The Iran Deal was not forged from sanctions alone. Our victory over Daesh won’t be secured through the hard work of the 1267 Committee alone. Sanctions must sit alongside all our other tools; direct political dialogue, mediation, peacekeeping, special political missions.

And just as with all other tools of this Council, it is important that sanctions remain fit for purpose.

So I want to thank you, Mr President, for bringing this issue before the Council again so that we can consider if there are further ways to improve our collective work on sanctions.

All future work on sanctions should build on the great deal of valuable work that has already been carried out by States and stakeholders on this issue. In particular, I want to highlight both the work of the UN Informal Working Group from 2006 and also the High-Level Review of UN Sanctions led by Sweden and other co sponsors. They have produced good recommendations but, as we all know, building the political commitment required for effective follow-up has been challenging.

This issue of political will applies above all when it comes to serious implementation of sanctions. For these measures to be truly effective, it is absolutely essential that all States implement them fully. It isn’t good enough just for the majority of countries to do so; a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

All Member States must recognise and respect that there can be no ifs, no buts: sanctions agreed in this Council are legally binding Chapter VII obligations.

I recognise that even when there is strong political will, implementation can be challenging, not just for States but also for businesses. There is already much good work in this area – outreach from Sanctions Committees, the development of networks and capacity-building, the sharing of information and best practices between states – but a great deal more could still be done, especially on the most important of sanctions dossiers such as North Korea where the number of States reporting on implementation still falls far short of what it needs to be.

That’s why, Mr President, we welcome further consideration of your delegation’s recent suggestion for a Secretary-General’s report on cross-cutting issues related to sanctions. If this report builds on the existing work I have referred to, draws lessons from current sanctions regimes, and offers concrete, practical suggestions on how to improve implementation and effectiveness, then we think this could be a valuable addition to our sanctions work; one that will help set a clear agenda for further improvements, building on the High-Level Review and other efforts.

And Mr President, there is quite simply no clearer reminder of the need for strengthening our sanctions capability than the current situation that we confront in relation to North Korea.

Here we face a State that continues to act in flagrant violation of multiple Security Council resolutions, a State that continues to threaten not just its region but the whole world in its reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and illegal missiles. Their latest ICBM launch just last week suggests a capability that puts most Security Council members, including the UK, within range. I have said before in this Chamber but it bears repeating today: we as a Security Council must act and we must be prepared to use sanctions to raise the cost for DPRK in pursuing these illegal actions.

Thank you.

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Two Royal Navy Merlin Mk3 helicopters were also embarked as UK and French maritime personnel trained together across the Asia Pacific region.

Minister for the Armed Forces, Mark Lancaster, said:

From fighting Daesh in the Middle East to jointly operating in Estonia as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence, our enduring defence partnership with France is stronger than ever as we work together to tackle global threats.

This deployment has demonstrated the ability of our world class Royal Navy and Royal Marines to operate alongside our French allies and international partners as Britain delivers on its commitment to global maritime security.

The annual French deployment Jeanne d’Arc included port calls at Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Japan, Guam, Australia and Egypt as well as various multinational amphibious exercises.

Throughout the deployment, UK personnel worked closely with international partners to strengthen defence cooperation in the region. British troops participated in the first ever four-part maritime exercise involving France, Japan, the UK and US, where as part of a week-long practice assault, the two Merlins moved 330 troops from the four nations to and from the island of Tinian.

UK troops also met with the Vietnam People’s Navy in Ho Chi Minh City to compare national maritime operating procedures and exchange experiences, and during a port call to Egypt, British forces took part in a cross-decking exercise alongside French and Egyptian Armed Forces.

Through the 2010 Lancaster House Treaties, the UK and France are continuing to strengthen an ever closer bilateral defence and security relationship. As well as fighting side by side as allies in NATO and the Global Coalition, the two nations are working together as partners in defence equipment and capability programmes such as the UK-France Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon programme.

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