Johan Forssell

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 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.

Today, the Government decided to refer proposals to the Council on Legislation, including a proposal that all asylum seekers should stay in Swedish Migration Agency accommodation, instead of arranging accommodation on their own.

The Government has presented a government bill to the Riksdag with proposals aimed at improving Sweden’s ability to attract and retain highly qualified workers.

The Government is now taking further steps in its overhaul of migration policy. In the Budget Bill for 2025, the Government proposes sweeping reforms for a responsible and restrictive migration policy.

Swedish and Finnish ministers will undertake a number of joint visits on the afternoon of 16 September. Media representatives are welcome to take part in the visits. Contact the relevant press contacts for more information, see below. Note that the list is subject to change.

Today, Tuesday 10 September and in connection with the Statement of Government Policy, Mr Kristersson announced changes within the Government: two new ministers and four ministers who are changing ministerial posts.

The Government has approved an additional SEK 500 million in support for heating and electricity supply in Ukraine. According to World Bank calculations, the support could help generate electricity for 185 000 people, making this Sweden’s largest contribution yet to Ukrainian energy supply. 

On 3 September, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell received Türkiye’s Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat. The aim of the visit was to promote dialogue between Sweden and Türkiye within the framework of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).

The Government has approved SEK 2 million in support to the inhabitants of Gammalsvenskby in Ukraine. The village, which was founded by Swedes in 1782, has been under immense pressure since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The new support will be used to meet the inhabitants’ immediate needs during the winter. The initiative also means that the village’s children will have the opportunity to attend a summer camp on Gotland next year. The support is a first step in Sweden’s commitment to rebuilding the village’s cultural heritage in the long term.

On 2–3 September, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will receive the Amir of the State of Qatar, HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, in Stockholm. The visit will focus on developing Sweden and Qatar’s cooperation in areas such as green transition, infrastructure and health care. It will also provide an opportunity to discuss current foreign policy issues.

Today, the Government has appointed Ulrik Tideström as special envoy for Ukraine’s reconstruction, business sector and development.

As a result of the disputed election in Venezuela and as part of an upcoming initiative aiming to improve conditions for free elections, the Swedish Government intends to increase its support to freedom of expression, freedom of the press and independent media in Venezuela by SEK 10 million.

The Government has decided that Svenska kraftnät, Sweden’s power grid authority, may provide backup power generators to Ukraine, to support the country’s energy supply.

The Government has decided to begin a phase-out of Sweden’s strategy for development cooperation with Iraq. This phase-out will be done responsibly, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) have been tasked with concluding operations by 30 June 2025.

The Government has decided to support the Reporters Shield initiative with SEK 5 million over a two-year period. Reporters Shield is a new long-term support programme that provides legal support to journalists and other media actors operating in repressive environments when they are targeted by baseless lawsuits.

Through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) humanitarian fund, to which Sweden is a major donor, it was possible to provide immediate assistance to people affected by the missile attack on the children’s hospital in Ohmatdyt on 8 July. The Government is now preparing a decision to provide an additional SEK 5 million in urgent humanitarian assistance to the ongoing response. This support will be channelled through UNICEF and go directly to the affected children and their families.

The Government’s new reform agenda, ‘Development assistance for a new era – freedom, empowerment and sustainable growth’, has a particular focus on improved health for the most vulnerable people. Initiatives are needed to improve prospects of good health, ensure functioning health and medical care systems, and strengthen preparedness, in order to better address health threats at global level. Sweden has an important role to play in these efforts.

The Government is paying out SEK 100 million in core support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The disbursement is being made in response to the urgent humanitarian situation in Gaza and in light of the new measures UNRWA has taken to strengthen internal supervision and control.

The first-ever Swedish minister-led business delegation visited Ukraine this week. The delegation was headed by Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell. In Kyiv, the delegation met with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and held roundtable discussions with a tailored line-up of Ukrainian ministers, including Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The new Swedish trade office was also inaugurated.