International

Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will travel to Singapore, Australia and the Philippines in the first week of June. He will participate in the Shangri-La Dialogue international defence summit and several bilateral meetings.

In view of the extensive humanitarian needs in Gaza, the Government has presented a new humanitarian aid package amounting to SEK 120 million. The support will be distributed to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Speech by Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin at a seminar on 9 May 2024, arranged by the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C. in conjunction with a meeting arranged by the United States for senior NATO officials responsible for resilience. Check against delivery.

Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forsell is visiting Zambia on 14–16 May. Mr Forsell is announcing Sweden’s new strategy for development cooperation, which places a stronger emphasis on women’s and girls’ access to antenatal care and safe abortions.

Mr Billström is visiting Texas on 13–15 May. The purpose is to present Sweden’s ambitions as a space nation and foster a good working relationship with Texas in relation to emerging technologies within the space industry.

The Government has nominated Sigrún Rawet as Executive Director for the Nordic-Baltic constituency on the World Bank Board of Directors for the period 1 July 2024–30 June 2028.

The Government has decided to submit the Agreement on Defense Cooperation bill between Sweden and the United States to the Swedish Riksdag. The agreement complements Sweden’s NATO accession and strengthens the country’s defence by facilitating US military presence in Sweden.

On 7 May, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell will visit Georgia’s capital city Tbilisi together with State Secretary Diana Janse. There, they will meet with official representatives, civil society and opposition government representatives.

On 5 March, Swedish Minister for Defence Pål Jonson and German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius signed a letter of intent on deeper defence cooperation between Sweden and Germany.

A bilateral dialogue between Sweden and the United States took place on 2 May in Washington DC. It was the first of its kind, and a clear manifestation of the close cooperation between the two countries aimed at tackling cyber-related threats and promoting safe digital development.

The text of the following statement was released by the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden on the occasion of the inaugural U.S.-Sweden Cyber and Digital Dialogue.

On 2–3 May, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström will be in Copenhagen to attend this year’s Nordic-African Foreign Ministers Meeting. The agenda includes peace and security, multilateral cooperation, reform of multilateral institutions and increasing trade and investment.

This strategy aims to support actors working for more stable, democratic and sustainable development in the Middle East and North Africa, including in Yemen and Palestine. The strategy applies from 21 March 2024 to 31 December 2027 and provides a total of approximately SEK 2.3 billion.

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has decided to provide EUR 371 million in humanitarian assistance to 30 humanitarian crises. The largest part of the support will go to humanitarian actors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan and Sudan. Sweden’s humanitarian assistance in 2024 totals EUR 758 million.

Sweden is now distributing EUR 371 million to 30 humanitarian crises through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Humanitarian needs around the world continue to increase due to more conflicts, further violations of international law and the fact that climate-related and natural disasters are more common and extensive. More and more people are facing famine, fleeing their homes and living under threat of violence and oppression.

On April 16 Minister for Education Mats Persson signed the Artemis Accords, a set of principles for exploration and conduct in space. During the ceremony NASA Administrator Bill Nelson delivered the following video remarks.

To improve the conditions for cooperation between Swedish and American universities, research institutions and businesses on research, innovation and education, Vinnova and the Swedish Research Council have signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States of America.

Speech by Minister for Education Mats Persson at the signing of the Artemis Accords, 16 April 2024. Check against delivery.

Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström at Selwyn College, Cambridge, 16 April 2024. Check against delivery.