Tobias Billström

On Wednesday 15 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström hosted ambassadors from the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) countries at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

On Thursday 9 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström hosted a dialogue with ambassadors of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

On 6 November, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström delivered a policy speech on Belarus. The speech was delivered during a visit to Vilnius. Check against delivery.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström is visiting Vilnius today, 6 November, to discuss Belarus. He will also deliver a policy speech on Belarus at Vilnius Town Hall.

On 26–27 October, Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, visited Sweden. The programme included meetings with Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström and State Secretary Diana Janse.

Yesterday evening, the Government received the alarming news that two Swedes were killed in a terrorist attack in Brussels. The attack appears to have been aimed at Sweden and Swedish interests. Our thoughts are with the deceased and their relatives.

The Swedish plane that took off from Tel Aviv last evening has landed at Arlanda Airport. There were 143 people onboard. The passengers were Swedes with families.

On 9–10 October, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billstrom is taking part in a joint meeting of foreign ministers from EU Member States and Gulf Cooperation Council Member States (GCC) in Oman’s capital, Muscat. In connection with this, Mr Billström will also visit Riyadh for bilateral discussions with his Saudi colleague.

On 28 September 2023, Mr Billström is visiting The Hague for talks with Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Hanke Bruins Slot. Mr Billström is also planning to visit the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

National Statement at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) delivered by Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström on behalf of Sweden. New York, September 2023 Check against delivery

Following more than 15 years of negotiations, in March 2023 the UN successfully adopted a new global treaty to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Sweden has now signed the treaty, which establishes rules to limit environmental impacts and create marine protected areas in the high seas, which make up approximately 95 per cent of the volume of the world’s oceans.

On 18–26 September, several high-level meetings will be held in connection with the opening of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN Headquarters in New York. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell and Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson will attend.

Members of the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse gave a statement on women’s and girls’ rights to participate in public life.

On Friday 1 September, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström received a congressional delegation from the United States House of Representatives. The delegation included members of both the Republican and Democratic parties and was led by Republican Michael McCaul, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The visit aimed to follow up on the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Sweden’s forthcoming membership of NATO and the continued support to Ukraine.

Tomorrow, Friday 1 September, Tobias Billström will hold a press briefing together with members of the United States Congress. Alongside the visiting Congress members, Mr Billström will discuss Sweden’s forthcoming NATO membership and the continued support to Ukraine.

On 4 August, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström hosted a dialogue with ambassadors of OIC Member States at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The dialogue took place against the backdrop of repeated burnings of copies of holy scriptures and the resolution adopted by the OIC Member States at the Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign ministers of the OIC.

In light of the recent developments, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Jakob Forssmed and Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström invited representatives of faith communities to a discussion to listen to their views and thoughts on recent events.

Ahead of the anniversary of the August 2020 presidential election in Belarus, the EU is imposing new sanctions in response to the increased domestic repression in the country. The measures are also in response to Belarus’s support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.