Christopher Patten was a Conservative MP in the UK (1979-1992), and the last British governor of Hong Kong (1992-1997). After chairing a commission into the reform of policing in Northern Ireland, he became European Commissioner for External Relations in 1999.

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The ‘foreign policy’ dimension of the EU - in the Middle East, the Balkans, and central Asia - is an increasingly significant part of its activities. The Commissioner for External Relations, who is responsible for helping guide EU decisions in aid, trade and institution-building in these regions, sets out to Kirsty Hughes his view of the role of the EU amidst short-term crisis and long-term process alike.