LONDON - BRITAIN will get its first blogging foreign secretary when David Miliband's on-line thoughts about policy and world events go live later on Wednesday, the Foreign Office said.

Mr Miliband, 42, blogged while environment secretary under former prime minister Tony Blair. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said he found the experience positive and wanted to continue in his new role under Gordon Brown.

The blog - to be called 'A Global Conversation' will contain the personal thoughts of Mr Miliband as well those from the minister for Europe Jim Murphy, senior British ambassadors and staff based around the world, she said.

Plans are also afoot for a Foreign Office platform on?YouTube.

In the wake of criticisms about British policy in Iraq, Afgahnistan and the Middle East, Mr Miliband has spoken of the need for a more 'engaged' diplomacy.

'He had a blog when he was environment secretary. That's prompted him to take this forward as foreign secretary. He was able to explain policies and engage with the public on a personal level,' the spokeswoman said.

'With this blog, the foreign secretary and other senior staff will do their best to respond to posts but obviously they won't be able to respond to every single thing.'

Mr Miliband's blog at the environment ministry - nicknamed the 'Mili-blog' - was not without its problems.

In March this year he was accused of using it for party political purposes by defending the governing Labour Party against accusations it was anti-countryside.

And in September last year, the site was hacked into and critical comments posted on it. -- AFP