Maria Malmer Stenergard

National Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Ms Maria Malmer Stenergard, held at the OSCE 31st OSCE Ministerial Council 5 December 2024. Check against delivery.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard has presented the Royal Order of the Polar Star to US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.

On 5 December, the Nordic-Baltic foreign ministers and representatives met with Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan in the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Valletta.

On 3–4 December, 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 ahead of the NATO Summit in The Hague in mid-2025. The agenda includes support to Ukraine and cooperation with countries in North Africa and the Middle East.

On 19–21 November, HM The King paid a State Visit to Singapore at the invitation of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Sweden’s Government was represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Infrastructure and Housing Andreas Carlson, State Secretary Håkan Jevrell from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and State Secretary Miriam Söderström from the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. Around 50 Swedish companies, government agencies and higher education institutions took part in the business delegation arranged by Business Sweden.

On 22 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard visited Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. During her visit, Ms Malmer Stenergard met with her Thai counterpart, Maris Sangiampongsa, and with Phumtham Wechayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. The visit underscores the significance of the ties between the two countries – both bilateral relations and discussions on regional security and global challenges.

The Swedish State Visit to Singapore 19-21 November 2024 by his Majesty The King, provides a unique opportunity to deepen existing collaborations and develop new areas of collaboration between Singapore and Sweden. During the visit, attention will be paid to several areas of collaboration, i.e. health, defence, energy, transport and civil aviation.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard spoke at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Singapore on 20th November 2024. During this IISS Raffles Lecture Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard talked about strengthening Cross-Regional Security: Sweden and the Indo-Pacific. Check against delivery.

On 22 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard will visit Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, where she will meet with the Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs.

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 19–21 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard will take part in the State Visit by TM The King and Queen to Singapore. During the Visit, Ms Malmer Stenergard will meet with her Singaporean counterpart and other government representatives, and take part in security and trade-related talks. She will also give a speech at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a think tank. The King and Queen will have meetings with the President and Prime Minister of Singapore, which Ms Malmer Stenergard will also attend.

Their Majesties The King and Queen will pay a State Visit to Singapore on 19–21 November 2024 at the invitation of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard delivered a speech to the diplomatic corps on 11th November 2024, in Stockholm. Check against delivery.

On 11–13 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa and Minister for EU Affairs Jessica Rosencrantz will receive Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan.

Today, the EU decided to extend the European Union Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) Ukraine. The Mission strengthens Ukraine’s capability to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty, and will now be extended by two years.

Today, October 29, at a meeting in the cooperation format between the Nordic Ministers for Foreign Affairs (N5) there was an exchange of views with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian democratic forces in exile, on the situation in Belarus and on how best to support the Belarusian democratic movement.

In its 2025 Budget Bill, the Government is presenting a range of initiatives to tackle men’s violence against women. The Government intends to propose strengthening support to victims of prostitution, and to allocate SEK 10 million for this purpose in 2025. The Government also intends to propose reinforcements to national telephone help lines for victims of violence, with the aim of preventing and combating men’s violence against women, intimate partner violence, honour-based violence and oppression, and prostitution and human trafficking. It is therefore proposed that the National Centre for Knowledge on Men’s Violence Against Women (NCK) at Uppsala University receive an additional SEK 7 million in 2025. The aim is to increase the national help lines’ response rate.

On 17–18 October, Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima visited Sweden to enhance cooperation in trade and investment, regional security and global issues. Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard hosted the visit, which is an important step in strengthening the ties between the countries – not least by exploring new opportunities for cooperation in business and innovation.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard delivered an address during the UN Federation’s seminar on UN Day on 24 October 2024. The seminar was held at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Check against delivery.