Nordic affairs

We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and government representatives of the NB8, met in Kuressaare, Estonia on 29-30 April 2026, at a time of rapid change in the international security environment, with heightened geopolitical tensions, Russia continuing its war of aggression against Ukraine, and an urgent need for Europe to step up and take greater responsibility for shaping its future.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard is attending a meeting of Nordic-Baltic foreign ministers (NB8) in Kuressaare, Estonia, on 29–30 April. The agenda includes support to Ukraine, constraining Russia’s aggression in the region, boosting European security, current NATO issues and developments in the Middle East.

The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will take place on 9–19 March. Minister for Gender Equality Nina Larsson is attending the first week of the session. The session on women’s rights and gender equality is held annually and is the second largest in the UN system. Sweden’s participation is important, given the need for strong voices on gender equality in the world. For the first time, the Swedish Armed Forces will be part of the Swedish delegation.

On 29 October, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard received New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Nordic leaders in Stockholm. Discussions during the meeting included the importance of close collaboration between Europe and the Indo-Pacific Region to address common foreign and security policy challenges, not least ensuring continued global support to Ukraine.

Address by Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, 29 October 2025, Stockholm. Check against delivery.

On 28 October, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson received his Nordic counterparts for a Nordic Council of Ministers prime ministers meeting in Stockholm. Topics of discussion included Nordic supply preparedness, Nordic and European competitiveness and Nordic and European security. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen participated in parts of the meeting.

Declaration on the occasion of the meeting of the Nordic Prime Ministers and Heads of Government in Stockholm 28 October.

On 29 October, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard will receive other Nordic leaders and New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm. The Nordic leaders will meet in Stockholm within the framework of the informal foreign and security policy cooperation between the Nordic countries (N5) and will also hold a separate meeting, with Ukraine at the top of the agenda. In 2025, Finland is coordinating the N5.

(New version) On Tuesday 28 October, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will receive his Nordic counterparts in Stockholm for a meeting within the Nordic Council of Ministers. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will also attend. A joint press conference will be held after the meeting.

‘The Nordics together – Nordic value and cohesion in troubled times’ will be the focus of discussions when the annual Session of the Nordic Council takes place in Sweden’s Riksdag on 27–30 October. Several ministers will represent the Government.

On 5 September, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa is participating in a meeting of Nordic development cooperation ministers in Helsinki. The meeting is taking place within the framework of the N5 informal foreign and security policy cooperation format.

Today, 1 July 2025, marks the 25th anniversary of the Öresund Bridge. Sweden and Denmark are close to each other in terms of culture, values and common objectives – and their cooperation has never been closer than it is now. To mark the anniversary, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen adopted a declaration with the objective of making the Öresund region safer and more competitive and simplifying living and working across the border.

Joint statement by the Nordic foreign ministers at the NATO Summit in the Hague on 25 June 2025.

On 24 February 2025 in Kyiv, the Presidents of Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine and the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway and Sweden issued the following statement:

On 5 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard will travel to Copenhagen for a meeting with Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

On 27–28 November, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hosted a summit at Harpsund together with the heads of government of the Nordic and Baltic countries. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also took part and stayed for bilateral talks the following day. On the first day, the leaders issued a joint statement on security cooperation. At the end of the second day, Sweden and Poland signed a new strategic partnership.

Today, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is hosting a meeting at Harpsund with the Nordic and Baltic countries’ heads of government and Poland’s Prime Minister. The leaders have discussed transatlantic relations, security in the Baltic Sea region and long-term support to Ukraine. They also delivered a joint statement.

We, the Heads of Government of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Poland, and Sweden met today in Harpsund, Sweden, at a pivotal time for our security. As a result of this Summit, all the leaders of the Nordic-Baltic countries and Poland, have agreed the following:

Culture is one of the foundations that connect the Nordic countries. An inclusive cultural scene in the Nordic region promotes democracy, diversity and quality of life. Nordic cultural cooperation therefore plays an important role in efforts to ensure a well-integrated and sustainable Nordic region – today and in the future.

In a joint statement, the Nordic and Baltic Ministers of Digitalisation emphasised the importance of enhanced cooperation concerning underwater infrastructure for electronic communication.