Paul Brummell is a career diplomat for the UK Government, who joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1987. He is presently British Ambassador to Latvia. A career diplomat, he joined the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in 1987. He is presently British Ambassador to Latvia and has also served as British Ambassador to Romania, and to Turkmenistan and to Kazakhstan (as well as non-resident Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan), and High Commissioner to the countries of the eastern Caribbean, based in Barbados. In 2016, he was awarded the CMG for services to British foreign policy. Aside from diplomacy, Brummell is also an accomplished travel writer. He is the author of Bradt guides to Latvia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and co-author of the guide to Transylvania. He has also written Diplomatic Gifts: a history in fifty presents.