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Laurie Bristow

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Sir Laurie Bristow
KCMG
British Ambassador to Afghanistan
In office
June 2021 – November 2021
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byAlison Blake
Succeeded byMartin Longden
(chargé d'affaires)
British Ambassador to Russia
In office
January 2016 – January 2020
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime Minister
Preceded bySir Tim Barrow
Succeeded byDeborah Bronnert
British Ambassador to Azerbaijan
In office
18 February 2004 – 2007
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byAndy Tucker
Succeeded byCarolyn Browne
Personal details
Born (1963-11-23) 23 November 1963 (age 60)
NationalityBritish
Spouse(s)Fiona, Lady Bristow
Children2
EducationColchester Royal Grammar School
Alma materTrinity College, Cambridge (BA)
University of Cambridge (PhD)
The Open University (MBA)
OccupationDiplomat

Sir Laurence Stanley Charles Bristow KCMG (born 23 November 1963) is a British diplomat who served as British Ambassador to Afghanistan between June and November 2021, notably during the fall of Kabul. He served as British Ambassador to Azerbaijan from 2004 to 2007 and British Ambassador to Russia from 2016 to 2020. He is now President of Hughes Hall, Cambridge.

Education

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Bristow was educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School, and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a BA in 1986. He received a PhD in English literature[1] from the University of Cambridge in 1990, with a thesis called "Ezra Pound: Poetry and Public Speaking".[2] He also gained a MBA in 2001 from The Open University.[3]

Career

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Bristow joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1990.[2] In the winter of early 1992, after attending a year of Romanian language training in the UK,[4] he was posted to Bucharest, Romania, where he worked for three years as second secretary. He then returned to the FCO in London, where he worked in the European Union department. From 1996 to 1998 he served as private secretary to the Minister of State for Europe. After a year of Turkish language training, he worked in Ankara, Turkey as head of the political section from 1999 to 2002. From 2002 to 2003 he worked in Rome at the NATO Defence College. In 2003 he worked on the Iraq policy unit at the FCO.[2]

Bristow was British Ambassador to Azerbaijan from 18 February 2004 to 2007.[5][6] He was minister (deputy head of mission) in Moscow from 2007 to 2010.[7] He then returned to London as Director, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, from 2010 until 2012.[8] He subsequently replaced Thomas Drew as Director, Intelligence and National Security.[2][9][10] In 2015, he was succeeded by Jonathan Allen[11] and appointed to be Ambassador to Russia,[12][13] a role he served in from January 2016. In response to the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, he had "difficult conversations" with the Russian government about deterrence.[4] His tenure ended in January 2020, and he was succeeded by Deborah Bronnert. In March 2020 he was appointed Regional Ambassador for COP26 - China, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East, North Africa, jointly at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Cabinet Office.[3]

Bristow succeeded Alison Blake as Ambassador to Afghanistan in June 2021.[14] As Kabul fell to the Taliban on 15 August 2021 and people attempted to flee Afghanistan, Bristow remained at Kabul's airport, personally processing visa applications of British and Afghan nationals.[15] Bristow flew back to the UK on 29 August, announcing that the Embassy would operate from Qatar "for the time being".[16]

In October 2022, Bristow became President of Hughes Hall, a postgraduate college of the University of Cambridge.[17]

Honours

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Bristow was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) "for services to British foreign policy interests and national security" in the 2015 New Year Honours[18] and promoted as Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 2019 New Year Honours.[19]

Personal life

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Bristow is married to Fiona and has two sons.[13]

Books

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Bristow's memoir, Kabul: Final Call, recounting the evacuation from Afghanistan during the fall of Kabul, was published in April 2024.[20]

References

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  1. ^ Oliphant, Roland (16 August 2021). "Britain's ambassador to Afghanistan plans to stay in Kabul 'for as long as possible'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d A & C Black (2015). "BRISTOW, Dr. Laurence Stanley Charles". Who's Who 2015, online edition. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  3. ^ a b "LinkedIn profile".
  4. ^ a b Davidson, Anna. "The UC Interview Series: Sir Laurie Bristow". University Consortium. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  5. ^ Mackie, Colin (2015). "British Diplomats Directory" (PDF). p. 624. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  6. ^ "Laurie Bristow". azer.com. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  7. ^ Mackie, Colin (2015). "British Diplomats Directory" (PDF). p. 798. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. ^ Mackie, Colin (2015). "British Diplomats Directory" (PDF). p. 912. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Informal Meetings held by the Foreign Affairs Committee in Session 2014-15" (PDF). Proceedings of the Foreign Affairs Committee. UK Parliament. 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ Foreign & Commonwealth Office (9 December 2013). "Senior staff and salary data: March 2013". gov.uk. Her Majesty's Government. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. ^ Mackie, Colin (2015). "British Diplomats Directory" (PDF). p. 914. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to Russia". Foreign & Commonwealth Office. 18 November 2015.
  13. ^ a b "Dr Laurie Bristow KCMG". GOV.UK. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Change of Her Majesty's Ambassador to Afghanistan: Laurie Bristow". GOV.UK (Press release). Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  15. ^ Selby, Jenn; Vaughan, Richard (16 August 2021). "Afghanistan: UK ambassador Laurie Bristow remains in Kabul airport to process visas for evacuees". i. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  16. ^ Bowden, George; Wright, Katie (29 August 2021). "Afghanistan: British ambassador home as last UK troops leave". BBC News. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Sir Laurie Bristow elected President of Hughes Hall". 28 March 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  18. ^ "No. 61092". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2014. p. N3.
  19. ^ "NEW YEAR 2019 DIPLOMATIC SERVICE AND OVERSEAS LIST" (PDF).
  20. ^ Harding, Luke (2 June 2024). "Kabul: Final Call by Laurie Bristow; The Afghans by Åsne Seierstad reviews – how the west abandoned Afghanistan… and what happened next". The Observer. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by British Ambassador to Azerbaijan
2004–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by British Ambassador to Russia
2016–2020 		Succeeded by
Preceded by British Ambassador to Afghanistan
2021 		Succeeded byas chargé d'affaires
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