The Press and Communications section supports the Embassy and the Ambassador in all media aspects of their work. Here is a brief overview of what we do:

Press Work

A large part of the section work is to brief journalists on UK Government priorities and to deal with media planning and organisation during events. We also seek to place articles by ministers, the Ambassador and senior officials in the French press. We monitor the press and produce a daily press review which is used internally as well as by the FCO in London.

Public Diplomacy Work

Our second most important area of activity is what is known in the Foreign Office as "Public diplomacy". Public diplomacy is the process of achieving the FCO's Strategic Framework through engagement with the public overseas. To achieve this, we work very closely with every section in the Embassy, and partners such as the British Council, on events and projects throughout the year that promote Britain and its positive influence in the world.

The Web

A significant aspect of our PD work is the embassy website. Again, we report on bilateral activities and events, with a particular interest for events held at the Ambassador’s Residence. We also produce a free monthly online newsletter in French, Outre-Manche, which highlights bilateral political, cultural and social news for our subscribers. If you would like to subscribe to our newsletter, please email distribution.om@fco.gov.uk.

Public Enquiries

The Press and Communications office is also responsible for the phone or email enquiries that come into the embassy from the general public. We respond to telephone enquiries between 2.30 to 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday.

For consulate enquiries (nationality, PACS, marriages, births, deaths, passports, visas etc.) please visit our webpages Help for British Nationals and Passports. For visas, please see our webpage Visas.

Entente Cordiale Scolarship Scheme

The section manages what is known as the Entente Cordiale Programme . This programme, founded in 1995, brings exceptional postgraduate students from Britain and France to study for a year on the other side of the Channel. Most of the scholars do a Master’s degree or research towards a Doctorate. Their studies are funded by private sponsorship.

If you would like to find out more about the Entente Cordiale Scholarship Scheme, please contact the following people:

For further information on the scheme and on sponsorship options, please contact the Entente Cordiale Co-ordinator at the British Embassy, Sara Gill.

For more information on the Entente Cordiale Scheme itself, the scholars and the Entente Cordiale Trust, please contact the Entente Cordiale Co-ordinator at the British Council, Sarah Bagshaw.