Please join us for lunch with UK Consul General, Stephen Lysaght and explore the opportunities the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA) might open up for your business.

The A-UKFTA, which came into effect May 31, 2023, contains commercially significant commitments that create new export opportunities and reduced input costs for business, strengthens trade diversification, and will help ease cost-of-living pressures for consumers. The agreement has eliminated tariffs on over 99% of Australian goods exports to the UK. The A-UKFTA has introduced new benefits for those in the Professional Services industries.

About Stephen:

I started as Consul General based in Melbourne in November 2020. I have responsibility for South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria.
I have enjoyed a varied diplomatic career which started out with postings to Washington DC and then Moscow. On returning to London, I started my work with the Indo-Pacific region which began with jobs in the South East Asian Department of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office covering relations with Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and Myanmar. While in London, I also spent time dealing the UK’s public diplomacy working closely with the British Council and BBC World Service.
After leaving London I spent 4 incredible years working on climate change and energy issues in Mexico City including COP 16 that took place in Cancun. Climate change continues to be a high priority for the UK as well as a personal passion of mine.
I returned to Indo-Pacific work with a posting as the head of the UK’s political and prosperity efforts in Manila. The highlights there included covering the 2016 presidential election, following closely regional security issues including the South China Sea and being a part of the UK’s support of the peace process in Mindanao.
I followed that with 4 years as the UK’s deputy Ambassador to Vietnam, based in Hanoi. As deputy I covered the whole range of our work at a really interesting time in Vietnam’s development and the growth in bilateral relations. A personal highlight for me was occasional soccer punditry on Vietnamese TV (yes I’m always available and even able to put aside my devotion to Liverpool FC).
After leaving Vietnam, it made sense to continue with my Indo-Pacific work and accept the role in Melbourne. I will cover the full range of UK interests in all 3 states, to which I intend to travel regularly.