Maria Malmer Stenergard

The Swedish State Visit to Singapore 19-21 November 2024 by his Majesty The King, provides a unique opportunity to deepen existing collaborations and develop new areas of collaboration between Singapore and Sweden. During the visit, attention will be paid to several areas of collaboration, i.e. health, defence, energy, transport and civil aviation.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard spoke at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Singapore on 20th November 2024. During this IISS Raffles Lecture Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard talked about strengthening Cross-Regional Security: Sweden and the Indo-Pacific. Check against delivery.

On 22 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard will visit Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, where she will meet with the Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs.

On 12 November, the Embassy of Sweden was officially inaugurated in Dublin. The Embassy has been long-awaited in Dublin, and its establishment has been met with great interest from both Swedish and Irish parties.

On 19–21 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard will take part in the State Visit by TM The King and Queen to Singapore. During the Visit, Ms Malmer Stenergard will meet with her Singaporean counterpart and other government representatives, and take part in security and trade-related talks. She will also give a speech at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a think tank. The King and Queen will have meetings with the President and Prime Minister of Singapore, which Ms Malmer Stenergard will also attend.

Their Majesties The King and Queen will pay a State Visit to Singapore on 19–21 November 2024 at the invitation of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard delivered a speech to the diplomatic corps on 11th November 2024, in Stockholm. Check against delivery.

On 11–13 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa and Minister for EU Affairs Jessica Rosencrantz will receive Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan.

Today, the EU decided to extend the European Union Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) Ukraine. The Mission strengthens Ukraine’s capability to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty, and will now be extended by two years.

Today, October 29, at a meeting in the cooperation format between the Nordic Ministers for Foreign Affairs (N5) there was an exchange of views with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian democratic forces in exile, on the situation in Belarus and on how best to support the Belarusian democratic movement.

In its 2025 Budget Bill, the Government is presenting a range of initiatives to tackle men’s violence against women. The Government intends to propose strengthening support to victims of prostitution, and to allocate SEK 10 million for this purpose in 2025. The Government also intends to propose reinforcements to national telephone help lines for victims of violence, with the aim of preventing and combating men’s violence against women, intimate partner violence, honour-based violence and oppression, and prostitution and human trafficking. It is therefore proposed that the National Centre for Knowledge on Men’s Violence Against Women (NCK) at Uppsala University receive an additional SEK 7 million in 2025. The aim is to increase the national help lines’ response rate.

On 17–18 October, Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima visited Sweden to enhance cooperation in trade and investment, regional security and global issues. Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard hosted the visit, which is an important step in strengthening the ties between the countries – not least by exploring new opportunities for cooperation in business and innovation.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard delivered an address during the UN Federation’s seminar on UN Day on 24 October 2024. The seminar was held at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Check against delivery.

When the Nordic Council holds its 76th Session in Reykjavik on 28–31 October, the focus will be on peace and security in the Arctic and Nordic regions.

On 21 October, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard and her Nordic colleagues will be joined by Germany’s foreign minister in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Nordic Embassies complex in Berlin. The event will highlight the growing Nordic-German cooperation and shared ambition to promote a secure and sustainable future. Guests of honour include the Crown Princess and Prince Daniel, the German President, the King and Queen of Denmark, the Presidents of Finland and Iceland and Norway’s Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

On 16 October 2024, the Nordic-Baltic countries’ foreign ministers visited Odesa, Ukraine. The visit took place against the backdrop of intensified Russian attacks against Ukraine resulting in further loss of lives, injuries and widespread destruction. The needs are immense, especially within the energy sector, as Ukraine prepares for its third winter since Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Nordic-Baltic countries are united in their unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine. During the visit, a substantial Nordic-Baltic winter package was announced in response to Ukraine’s most pressing needs, including energy, social infrastructure and humanitarian support. The support aims to alleviate the suffering caused by Russia’s attacks by contributing to basic needs such as heating and clean water during the cold winter months.

On 15 October 2024, the Nordic-Baltic countries’ foreign ministers will travel to Moldova. The visit comes ahead of the concurrent presidential elections and referendum on Moldova’s future relations with the European Union on 20 October. The Nordic-Baltic ministers are showing support for Moldova’s reforms and resilience in the face of intensifying hybrid attacks, and will share their experiences of membership and close relations with the European Union.

On 7 October 2023, Hamas committed the worst mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was joined by other ministers in a ceremony at Stockholm’s Great Synagogue on the evening of 7 October 2024 to honour the memory of the victims of the attack.