Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity are unconditional. Our priority must now be strengthening Ukraine and providing robust security guarantees. In any negotiation, Europe must have a central role. Our Weimar+ statement ↓

I'm looking forward to reading this. @markdurkan has brilliant recall, empathy, political nous, and a great turn of phrase.

An HIV test from home @10DowningStreet Sir Keir Starmer has become the first Prime Minister and G7 leader to take a public HIV test, as part of National HIV Testing Week which starts today. You can order a free, quick and easy HIV test now at

"Imperial Passport" (1240 CE) issued by the authority of Kublai Khan (1215-1294 CE) from Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 CE); – One of the two known 'Kublai Khan Passport', inscribed in Phags-Pa script and it reads - ”I am the emissary of the Khan. If you defy me, You die” Mongols invented the world’s first diplomatic passport known as “Paiza/Paizi” under Genghis Khan during the 12th-13th Century CE, which was carried by nobles and officials to demand goods and services from civilian populations. The Paiza or Paizi were metal tablets inscribed in gold, silver, bronze with safe passage statement signify certain privileges to protect diplomats, merchants, messengers traveling in silk route. Paizi served as a sort of 13th Century CE, diplomatic passport to allow the holder free passage and access to supplies through the territory controlled by Mongols. These small metal plates  issued by the Great Khans of the Mongol Empire and given to merchants, messengers, skilled artisans, officials, and important guests. The famed Venetian traveler Marco Polo (1254-1324 CE) is said to have carried a foot long three inches wide gold paiza issued by Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan) himself on his extensive travels across Eurasia. The paiza pretty much works like diplomatic passport, giving wide ranging rights to receive lodging, provisions, horses, and guides throughout the lands controlled by the Khan. Some paizi were carried by government officials as proof of their position and title, while others were given to people coming and going through the empire. They were usually reserved for people who traveled on state business and foreigners who were in Mongol territory under the protection of the Khan. A letter sent by the emperor in Beijing  carried by an envoy wearing his paiza, or passport, could reach the Ilkhanid capital Tabriz, some 5,000 miles away, in about a month. The Mongols created the largest contiguous land empire in history, which stretched far across Eurasia at its greatest extent in 1279 CE. Mongol empire existed during the 13th-14th Centuries CE, and was the largest land empire in history from the east to west, with mongols came invaded as far as Poland and Hungary into Europe. Before they could invade Vienna, the King Ögedei’s death brought halt to the invasion. The Mongol Empire emerged from the unification of several nomadic tribes in the Mongol homeland under the leadership of Genghis Khan, whom a council proclaimed ruler of all the Mongols in 1206 CE. The Hermitage - St. Petersburg #archaeohistories

Kevin O'Higgins was the first junior minister, not a member of Cabinet, to be invited to attend Cabinet meetings in 1921. 73 years before Pat Rabbitte attended Cabinet De Valera - associated with 1937 Constitution - invited him to attend "I want you to attend Cabinet meetings and express your views on a position of absolute equality with the rest of us. If, in the unlikely event of a division, you, perhaps, had better not vote, but with the rest of us express your views quite freely." Passing reference to this given in a book on De Valera by @mcculld

Today I’m announcing an additional €20 million in funding for UNRWA to provide assistance to people in Gaza, the West Bank and Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. More details here: