Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, dear colleagues, First of all, I want to direct myself to all our colleagues and friends in Vienna, after last night’s terrorist attacks. I hope you are all well and safely at home. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We must all stand united against attacks on our open society.

Prime Minister Stefan Löfven received Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the exiled leader of the Belarusian opposition, yesterday, 18 November.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs decided today to extend the advice against non-essential travel to Estonia, Ireland and Latvia until 2 December.

The United Kingdom’s transition period ends at the end of this year and will then have fully withdrawn from the EU. It is still unclear what trade conditions will apply, but trading with the UK will in any case be more difficult. Preparations ahead of next year by both public authorities and businesses in Sweden are of central importance, say Hans Dahlgren and Anna Hallberg during a digital visit to Swedish Customs.

Sweden’s strategy for the Arctic region presents the Government’s objectives and main priorities relating to the Arctic region, and sets out the political direction of further work on the Arctic in six thematic areas: international collaboration; security and stability; climate and the environment; polar research; sustainable economic development and business sector interests; and securing good living conditions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had major negative impacts on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) worldwide, and at the same time many donors have reduced their aid. Sweden is therefore providing SEK 40 million to Sida’s Strategy for SRHR in sub-Saharan Africa and SEK 100 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) has today, 9 November, decided to extend its advice against non-essential travel to all countries outside the EU/EEA/Schengen area as well as the United Kingdom until 31 January 2021.

Minister’s Declaration at the occasion of the Conference "2020 Capturing Technology - Rethinking Arms Control“.

Sweden’s strategy for the Arctic region presents the Government’s objectives and main priorities relating to the Arctic region, and sets out the political direction of further work on the Arctic in six thematic areas: international collaboration; security and stability; climate and the environment; polar research; sustainable economic development and business sector interests; and securing good living conditions.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs decided yesterday to lift the advice against non-essential travel to Lithuania. The decision comes into force today.

This month we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Within the global response to the covid-19 pandemic, Sweden has decided to contribute an additional 75 million Swedish kronor to sustaining peace efforts, within which women’s meaningful participation is a key component.

October 27, 2020

Today, 23 October, the Government’s 2019 Cultural and Creative Industries Export Prize was awarded to Goodbye Kansas Studios. The rising star award went to Rave Review.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs decided yesterday to extend the advice against non-essential travel to Estonia, Ireland, Latvia and Lithuania until 4 November.

The humanitarian and health situation around the world has worsened considerably as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic is expected to lead to a doubling of the number of people suffering from acute hunger to 265 million this year. Sweden and the World Food Programme (WFP) are now deepening their cooperation to tackle the global hunger crisis.

The Swedish Government, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the Swedish Red Cross, will co-host a high-level meeting on 21 October 2020 in Stockholm, convened by Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson, the Head of UNDRR Mami Mizutori and the Head of WFP David Beasley.

The objective of Sweden’s international development cooperation is to create conditions to improve the lives of people living in poverty and oppression. Development cooperation will be based on the principles of aid and development effectiveness, the 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement.

We are deeply concerned by the contents of the documentary called The Mole, which concerns a number of activities related to the DPRK.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has decided to lift the advice against non-essential travel to Malta and Slovenia. The decision comes into force on 8 October.