Jacqueline Perkins (diplomat)

Jacqueline "Jacky" Perkins is a British diplomat who has been the British Ambassador to Belarus since 2019. Previous to that, she was the deputy head of mission in Kuwait.

This article is about British diplomat. For Australian long-distance runner, see Jacqueline Perkins.
Her Excellency

Jacqueline Perkins
British Ambassador to Belarus
Assumed office
August 2019
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byFionna Gibb
Personal details
Born
Jacqueline Louise Perkins[1]

Cornwall, England
NationalityBritish
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Cambridge
University of Notre Dame (MA)
OccupationDiplomat

Consular career

Perkins joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1989 as an Assistant Desk Officer for the East Africa Department. In 1990, she underwent full-time Arabic language training courses and after two years was posted to the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi.[2]

In 1995, she was recalled to become the head of the Germany and Austria Section in the West Europe Department of the FCO. She stayed at the FCO in various posts until 1999 when she became the Head of Political, Economic and Development Section in Cairo. From 2003 until 2008, she was a regional adviser in Bahrain and in 2008, she became a Strategic Policy Adviser at the FCO's Strategy Unit. She became the Deputy Head of Mission in Kuwait in 2013, a post she held until 2018.[3][2]

In 2018, Perkins underwent an intensive Russian language course.[4] She was announced as the new UK Ambassador to Belarus and the successor to Fionna Gibb in June 2019, and took up her post in August.[5]

In October 2019, Perkins called on Belarus to drop the death penalty as part of International Day Against the Death Penalty.[6] In February 2020, Perkins said she was trying to "maintain momentum" in increased international trade and does not expect any changes after Brexit.[7] In October 2020, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab temporarily recalled Perkins amid civil unrest in Belarus triggered by allegations of electoral fraud against President Alexander Lukashenko.[8]

Personal life

Perkins has a degree in Modern Languages from Cambridge University and a MA in International Relations from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana.[2] She has two children.[2]

References
  1. "Bilingualism in law in practice: the experience of Belarus and the United Kingdom". British Institute of International and Comparative Law. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  2. "British Ambassador to Belarus Jacqueline Perkins". GOV.UK. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  3. "Red Crescent Gala Evening". Kuwait English School. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  4. "New U.K. Ambassador To Belarus Jacqueline Perkins Arrives In Minsk". Belarus Feed. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  5. "United Kingdom appoints new ambassador to Belarus". BELTA. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  6. "UK in Belarus". Twitter. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  7. "Ambassador: UK is working on increasing trade with Belarus". BELTA. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  8. "UK recalls ambassador to Belarus amid unrest". BBC News. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Fionna Gibb		 United Kingdom Ambassador to Belarus
2019–present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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