Basil Stephen Talbot Eastwood CMG (born 4 March 1944) is a retired British diplomat.

Early life

Eastwood was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

(from 1957 until 1962) and

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of Oxford University, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the ...

, where he studied history, and, later, Arabic.

Career

Eastwood held posts in Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Germany, and Sudan, where he was posted as Head of Chancery in 1984. He was British Ambassador to the

Syrian Arab Republic Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

from 1996 to 2000 and to the

Swiss Confederation ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

from 2001 to 2004."Eastwood, Basil Stephen Talbot, (born 4 March 1944), HM Diplomatic Service, retired, CMG 1999" in ''

Who's Who ''Who's Who'' (or ''Who is Who'') is the title of a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biography, biographical information on the prominent people of a country. The title has been adopted as an expression meaning a gr ...

'' online, 1 December 2007, accessed 10 March 2023 In July 1998, while serving in Syria, Eastwood announced a courtesy visit to Damascus by HMS ''Marlborough'' and the supply ship RFA ''Fort Victoria''. In a lengthy statement carried by

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...

, he said he hoped this would be the beginning of programmes of military co-operation between Syria and the United Kingdom. In 1998 Eastwood co-founded Cecily's Fund, a charity that helps Zambian orphans by funding their education. He is currently the chair of the charity's International Advisory Panel. In November 1999, Eastwood arranged talks in Damascus between United States Secretary of State

Madeleine Albright Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 64th United States secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. A member of the Democratic ...

, US ambassador

Ryan Crocker Ryan Clark Crocker (born June 19, 1949) is an American retired diplomat who served as a career ambassador within the United States Foreign Service and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He has served as United States Ambassador to ...

Lord Levy Michael Abraham Levy, Baron Levy, (born 11 July 1944) is a Labour Party peer. He is a former chartered accountant and was chairman and CEO of a large independent group of music companies. He now acts as a consultant for a number of companies a ...

, representing

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...

, and himself. In 2004, Eastwood and

Richard W. Murphy Richard William Murphy (born July 29, 1929) is an American diplomat and career member of the foreign service. Biography Early life Richard William Murphy was born on July 29, 1929 in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating from Phillips Exet ...

, a

United States Assistant Secretary of State Assistant Secretary of State (A/S) is a title used for many executive positions in the United States Department of State, ranking below the under secretaries. A set of six assistant secretaries reporting to the under secretary for political affairs ...

under the Reagan presidency, published a joint study which noted: "In the Arab Middle East, the awkward truth is that the most significant movements which enjoy popular support are those associated with

political Islam Political Islam is any interpretation of Islam as a source of political identity and action. It can refer to a wide range of individuals and/or groups who advocate the formation of state and society according to their understanding of Islamic pri ...

". Their study called on the western powers to seek to engage with moderate Islamists.

Honours

*Companion of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

, 1999''

The London Gazette ''The London Gazette'' is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are ...

'', 12 June 1999, Supplement 55513
p. 3
/ref>

References

External links

*
Cecily's Fund website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eastwood, Basil Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Alumni of Merton College, Oxford People educated at Eton College Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Syria Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Switzerland Living people 1944 births