John Birch (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
John Allan Birch KCVO, CMG (born 24 May 1935) is a former British diplomat
who was knighted in 1989. Sir John Birch was Ambassador to Hungary
until his retirement in 1995.
in 1960. Subsequently, he went as Second Secretary to Singapore
in 1963; to Bucharest
in 1965 as First Secretary
and to UKMIS Geneva
in 1968. He was Head of Chancery in Kabul
in 1973 before returning to London in 1977 as Counsellor at the Royal College of Defence Studies
. Later that year, John Birch was appointed Political Adviser at UKDEL CTB Geneva and moved in 1980 to Budapest
as Counsellor/Head of Chancery. From 1983 to 1986, he served at the FCO
as Head of Eastern European Department before being posted to UKMIS New York
as Deputy Permanent Representative (with the personal rank of Ambassador
). In 1989, Sir John Birch was appointed Ambassador to Hungary.
, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies and a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. He is a non–executive Director of the private security firm
AEGIS
, having previously served on the AEGIS Advisory Council.
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...
who was knighted in 1989. Sir John Birch was Ambassador to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
until his retirement in 1995.
Diplomatic career
John Birch joined the Foreign Office in 1959 and was posted as Third Secretary to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1960. Subsequently, he went as Second Secretary to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in 1963; to Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
in 1965 as First Secretary
Diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...
and to UKMIS Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
in 1968. He was Head of Chancery in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
in 1973 before returning to London in 1977 as Counsellor at the Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
. Later that year, John Birch was appointed Political Adviser at UKDEL CTB Geneva and moved in 1980 to Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
as Counsellor/Head of Chancery. From 1983 to 1986, he served at the FCO
FCO
FCO may mean:*Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs*Ferro Carril Oeste, a football club of Buenos Aires and the eponymous railway*Financial Control Officer, a controller...
as Head of Eastern European Department before being posted to UKMIS New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as Deputy Permanent Representative (with the personal rank of Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
). In 1989, Sir John Birch was appointed Ambassador to Hungary.
Post-retirement
Sir John Birch was Director of the British Association for Central and Eastern Europe from 1995 to 2004. He is Vice–Chairman of the Council of University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies and a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. He is a non–executive Director of the private security firm
Private military company
A private military company or provides military and security services. These combatants are commonly known as mercenaries, though modern-day PMCs refer to their staff as security contractors, private military contractors or private security contractors, and refer to themselves as private military...
AEGIS
Aegis Defence Services
Aegis Defence Services is a British private military company with overseas offices in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kenya, Nepal and the United States. It was founded in 2004 by Tim Spicer, who was previously director of the controversial company Sandline International.Aegis provides security and...
, having previously served on the AEGIS Advisory Council.