Economic sanctions incur significant economic losses for all parties. Provided they are successful, they nevertheless represent the least bad way forward in relation to Iran. And to give diplomacy a real chance of success, they have to be efficient and effective.

The military cooperation agreements announced last month with Algeria and Libya are part of UK 'energy diplomacy' aimed at securing access to strategic resources in North Africa. Both countries are identified in the UK Energy Security Strategy as producers of gas and oil which are important trading partners and hence countries which are important to the UK's energy security.

Both have been Prime Minister, both know how hard the job can be. Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show this morning, Tony Blair highlighted why he and David Cameron aren't so different after all.

Romanians are used to coming bottom of the European pile. I know, I'm married to one. He lives in Britain, and is often told he 'sounds English' - lucky chap.

If this battle is not for ideological reasons then what is it for?

Diverse issues like instability in the Middle East, the financial crisis and climate change, all bear the footprint of the US. It is therefore incontrovertible that if we, here in the UK, wish to genuinely affect such issues, it is in our vital strategic interest to cement the 'special relationship.'

Our most recent occupation of Afghanistan has been marked, much like the others, by a directionless war that turns Afghans into enemies while getting bogged down in mud and blood. The growing occurrence of so called 'green on blue' attacks on allied forces are not simply a failure of security checks but a deeper sign that more Afghan's than ever are unconvinced that the 11 year occupation has been for their benefit. We should bring home the 9,000 British service men and women still stationed in Afghanistan, taking them out of harm's way.

The UK is "sticking to its course" in Afghanistan amid warnings British troops could be killed in reprisal attacks for the killing of 16 civilians by ...

The Argentine charge d'affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office this afternoon. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We have raised our concerns wi...

Downing Street today accused Argentina of pursuing a "policy of confrontation" over the Falkland Islands, after reports suggested the South American s...

This week I visited Somalia's capital. Mogadishu is a city where people until recently were surviving, not really living. As its Mayor said to me, a 20-year-old Somali has never known anything other than violence and war... I left Somalia more convinced than ever that we have a responsibility to do our utmost to stem the decline of Somalia. Its people deserve a better future, and our own security requires their country to become more stable.

Okay, so it's always easy to be cynical about signs of life in the Israeli/Palestinian peace process. But (and it is a big but), I can't help feeling encouraged by the moderate success - or lack of failure - of recent talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Jordan.

The UK will provide economic support to Afghanistan for another decade after the withdrawal of troops, Foreign Secretary William Hague has said. ...

Tony Blair's record as prime minister means he lacks the "great qualities" to be part of the Quartet on the Middle East, the defence secretary has sai...

David Cameron is secretly receiving political advice on foreign affairs from Tony Blair � most recently on how to resolve the international deadlock...

Prime Minister David Cameron has defended the UK's role in the military intervention in Libya, but said that Nato should not take too much credit for ...

Liberal Democrats must be natural members of any such "movement for freedom". They should back their leader in ensuring that "the UK stands shoulder to shoulder with the millions of citizens across the Arab world.

Prime Minister David Cameron has warned that difficult days still lie ahead for opposition fighters in Libya, as he admitted the Nato command was unsu...

There has been a surfeit of bad news of late. Yet there are positive developments in the Summer of our discontent, and they merit underlining.

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Liberal Democrats' role in the Coalition Government offers the party a chance to re-define its foreign policy thinking, much as the Orange Book re-defined aspects of its economic thinking.