Mikael Damberg

The Government’s aim is to increase exports. As part of these efforts, a new export strategy for Sweden has been drawn up

Sweden’s new Consulate-General in New York was inaugurated yesterday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg and Sweden’s new Consul-General Leif Pagrotsky. Also in attendance were representatives of the US Department of State and the City of New York.

Following five days of intensive negotiations in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, the 162 member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) were able to reach a new global trade agreement. The agreement includes regulations for export support for agricultural products, preferential treatment for least-developed countries and a separate agreement to eliminate tariffs on technology products. Liberia and Afghanistan were welcomed as new members.

Liberia was today accepted as a new member at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial conference in Nairobi. At the accession ceremony, Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf personally thanked Sweden for the support it provided via the National Board of Trade and Sida, and through the role Joakim Reiter played as the chair of the accession group.

The negotiations on an updated Information Technology Agreement (ITA) have now been concluded between 53 WTO members, including the EU and Sweden. The agreement will mean duty-free access to an additional 201 technology products and so covers 10 per cent of the value of total world trade – more than global trade in agricultural products.

Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg and Minister for Higher Education and Research Helene Hellmark Knutsson presented a national programme for protein research, method development and biologics production.

The Government has decided to open embassies in Lima, Manila and Tunis. The new missions abroad will be inaugurated in 2016.

The Government decided today to upgrade the Swedish presence in New York by opening a salaried Consulate General. The Consulate General will open in December and replace the honorary consulate currently there.

The Swedish export strategy is to help achieve the Government’s overall objective of Sweden having the lowest unemployment rate in the EU by 2020.

Friday 9 October was the final day of the Swedish State Visit to Lithuania. Since the State Visit began on Wednesday 7 October, the Swedish delegation has had a fruitful and busy visit on the other side of the Baltic Sea.