Foreign and security policy

In light of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s televised speech on the morning of 21 September, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson later the same day issued the following statement:

Sweden has chosen to intervene (participate) in two court cases concerning Russia’s responsibility for violations of international law. A case between Ukraine and Russia on allegations of genocide is pending before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. At the same time, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is hearing an inter-state case against Russia concerning serious violations of human rights during the war in Ukraine.

The Government has approved another SEK 500 million to support Ukraine in accordance with what the Prime Minister told Ukraine’s minister for foreign affairs when he visited Stockholm on 29 August. The funds will be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine, humanitarian procurements and transport of Ukrainian wheat.

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will receive Ukrainian Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba, who will be visiting Stockholm on 29 August.

On Tuesday 16 August, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson received German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz at Sager House. During the visit, Ms Andersson and Mr Scholz discussed the close relations between Sweden and Germany, the new security situation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and economic developments. They also discussed green industry and green transition, and therefore visited Scania in Södertälje.

(New version) On Monday 15 August, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will travel to Oslo to take part in an informal meeting of Nordic prime ministers.

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The King and Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, will pay a State Visit to Sweden on 11–13 October 2022 at the invitation of His Majesty the King.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde took part in the North Atlantic Council meeting on 5 July 2022 at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where all NATO members signed the Accession Protocols for Sweden and Finland. This enables all the NATO members to proceed with the accession process and ratify the protocols in the next step towards Swedish and Finnish membership. Following ratification by the NATO members, Sweden’s accession will be referred to the Riksdag for approval. Sweden and Finland have Invitee status until the accession protocols have been ratified.

On Monday June 27, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. In conjunction with a joint press conference, Ms Andersson delivered a speech.

The 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) concluded on Friday morning. It was the WTO’s first major conference in five years. Addressing the enormous challenges that have paralysed world trade – the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the food and energy crisis – was on the agenda.

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will receive NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday 13 June. They will discuss Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership applications, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the security situation in our neighbourhood.

On 10 June, Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde will present a new Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. A Statement of Foreign Policy was presented on 16 February this year. In light of the new security environment, the Riksdag and the Government decided that a new Statement of Foreign Policy and debate are needed.

Joint statement on the limited resumption of Arctic Council cooperation.

Opinion piece by Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde and Matilda Ernkrans, Minister for International Development Cooperationin Politico, June 5, 2022.

Convening ahead of the Stockhom+50 conference this week, Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation Matilda Ernkrans and members of the Champions Group on Adaptation Finance reiterated their commitments to raise the political ambition for adaptation finance and address the barriers to increasing flows, quality, effectiveness and accessibility of adaptation finance.

The European Council is holding a special meeting in Brussels on 30–31 May. A number of issues related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are expected to be discussed. These include continued EU support to Ukraine, energy and food security. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson is representing Sweden.

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will receive UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday 1 June. The agenda for their bilateral meeting includes the security situation in Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the green transition.

On Wednesday 25 May, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will receive the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.