Foreign and security policy

Debate article by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard and EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz in Dagens Industri, 8 May 2025. Originally in Swedish.

On Tuesday 6 May, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson received Iceland’s President Halla Tómasdóttir for bilateral talks at Rosenbad. The meeting took place in connection with Ms Tómasdóttir’s three-day State Visit at the invitation of HM The King.

On 1 – 2 May, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard visited London to meet the UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. During the visit, Ms Malmer Stenergard participated in a celebration of a Swedish-British research collaboration together with the King and Queen of Sweden, and met Swedes living in London.

Joint Statement by the Nordic-Baltic-Weimar Ministers of Foreign Affairs on April 29 2025.

Iceland’s President Halla Tómasdóttir is paying a State Visit to Sweden at the invitation of His Majesty the King. The President is accompanied by her spouse Björn Skúlason, Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir and Minister for Health Alma Möller, together with a delegation from the business sector.

On 23 April, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard received Algeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Attaf in Stockholm. The purpose of the visit was to deepen cooperation between the two countries, primarily in terms of trade, and also to discuss security challenges in the region.

Sudan: Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union marking two years of war.

On 8 April, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard and Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen hosted Hanalys, the high-level foreign and security policy dialogue held at Villa Foresta on Lidingö, Stockholm. The conference brought together hundreds of Swedish and Finnish experts to discuss Ukraine, international law and economic security.

In May 2026, Sweden will host the informal meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs. Helsingborg has been confirmed as the location of the meeting.

On 3–4 April, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard will take part in the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brussels, which will lay the groundwork for the NATO Summit in The Hague. Cooperation with countries in the Indo-Pacific will also be on the agenda.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard received Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Ali Nafti in Stockholm on 1 April. The purpose of the visit was to deepen cooperation, primarily in terms of trade, but also to discuss regional and global issues and challenges. Mr Ali Nafti was accompanied by a business delegation.

On 24–26 March, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard visited Israel and Palestine. The purpose was to examine how Sweden can contribute to the improvement of the current situation and promote bilateral relations.

In order to strengthen the work of the Joint Committee on Economic, Industrial and Technical Cooperation between Sweden and the People’s Republic of China, originally established in 1978 and updated in 2006, Sweden’s State Secretary for Foreign Trade, Håkan Jevrell, and Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce, Ling Ji, on this day has decided to merge the “FDI Working Group” and the “Environmental Protection and Energy Conservation Working Group” into the “Working Group on Green Transition Investments”.

On Monday 17 March, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa visited Uganda’s crisis centre – which is established in the event of major disease outbreaks – in response to the ongoing spread of the Ebola virus in the country. Sweden is providing SEK 20 million to Uganda’s Ebola response, to be channelled through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard travelled to India on 17–18 March to take part in the Raisina Dialogue, a conference on security policy. She was accompanied by a delegation of Swedish industry representatives who met with Indian counterparts within the framework of the India Sweden Business Leaders’ Roundtable. In meetings with India’s External Affairs Minister and Minister of Commerce and Industry, Ms Malmer Stenergard discussed how Sweden’s and Europe’s partnership with India can become even stronger.

On 6–8 May 2025, Iceland’s President Halla Tómasdóttir will pay a State Visit to Sweden at the invitation of His Majesty The King. Ms Tómasdóttir will be accompanied by her husband, Björn Skúlason, and representatives of the Icelandic Government and business sector. The Swedish Government will be represented by several ministers.

On 17–19 March, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa is travelling to Uganda. Mr Dousa will visit the north-western part of the country, where Sweden supports host communities that receive refugees.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard is travelling to India on 17–18 March to take part in the Raisina Dialogue, a conference on security policy. During her visit to New Delhi, Ms Malmer Stenergard will also participate in a Swedish-Indian business meeting hosted by India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry. Ms Malmer Stenergard will be joined by CEO of Business Sweden Jan Larsson in an inauguration ceremony to launch a new trading office in India.

On 13 March, the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Stockholm. The aim was to deepen cooperation in trade, investment and regional and global issues. Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard hosted the visit, which was a significant step in strengthening ties between the two countries.

Today, 13 March, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa has announced that Sweden will increase development assistance to Ukraine by more than SEK 1.4 billion with the aim of strengthening Ukraine’s resilience and recovery.