Mission: The Future

On 15 October 2024, the Nordic-Baltic countries’ foreign ministers will travel to Moldova. The visit comes ahead of the concurrent presidential elections and referendum on Moldova’s future relations with the European Union on 20 October. The Nordic-Baltic ministers are showing support for Moldova’s reforms and resilience in the face of intensifying hybrid attacks, and will share their experiences of membership and close relations with the European Union.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on recent attacks against UNIFIL.

Wednesday, 16 October marks the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attack in Brussels, in which two Swedish football fans were killed and a third injured. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander de Croo will take part in a joint wreath-laying ceremony at the site where the attack took place.

The Government has decided to instruct Sida to increase transparency in development assistance. The aim is to increase the Swedish population’s insight into how their tax funds are being spent.

On 10 October, the Swedish Government signed a letter together with its Nordic neighbours and a large number of other countries in a show of support for UN Secretary-General António Guterres to be able to operate in all UN Member States. This is in response to the Israeli Foreign Minister declaring the UN Secretary-General persona non grata.

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

Sweden is an active force for child and maternal care, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and other health care around the world. Support to health care in Ukraine, access to SRHR, and fundamental health and vaccination campaigns are important focus areas. Cooperation with civil society is also being strengthened. The annual development assistance for health report, published today, 11 October, outlines all of this and much more.

In 2023,Sweden’s development assistance for health totalled approximately SEK 5.7 billion. Support to health care in Ukraine, access to SRHR, and fundamental health and vaccination campaigns are important focus areas.

President-elect of the European Council António Costa will take office at the beginning of December. On 8 October, Mr Costa was welcomed to Stockholm by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. During a working lunch, they discussed working methods and issues that will be high on the EU agenda going forward.

Swedish Defence University, Stockholm, 24 September 2024. Check against delivery.

On 7 October 2023, Hamas committed the worst mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was joined by other ministers in a ceremony at Stockholm’s Great Synagogue on the evening of 7 October 2024 to honour the memory of the victims of the attack.

The military escalation in Lebanon has had major humanitarian consequences. Sweden is therefore increasing its humanitarian support to Lebanon by a total of SEK 83.5 million. The support will be divided between the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Lebanese Red Cross, Save the Children and the UN Lebanon Humanitarian Fund.

The EU decided on 8 October to introduce a new sanctions regime in response to Russia’s destabilising activities. The sanctions aim to counter Russia’s hybrid activity against the EU, its Member States and international partners.

In the Budget Bill for 2025, the Government proposes several measures to overhaul integration policy. The Government proposes broad initiatives, including measures aimed at improving language skills for children and staff in preschools, schools, after-school care and care for older people. To better follow the development, it is proposed that funding be set aside to develop and implement more appropriate follow-up of integration.

On 24–26 September, Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson attended the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. She also represented Sweden in a High-level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance and a panel on cervical cancer.

On 26 September, a High-level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was held during the United Nations General Assembly. The Meeting is the second of its type, with the first having been held in 2016. The meeting included the ceremonial adoption of a political declaration on global and national undertakings in efforts to counter AMR. Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson headed Sweden’s participation in the Meeting.

The Government decided on 2 October to resume embassy operations in Beirut, Lebanon. The Embassy is now in place.

The Government today presented a government bill to the Riksdag with proposals on how Sweden will contribute to NATO’s overall deterrence and defence in the North Atlantic area in 2025.

This strategy aims to support actors working for more stable, democratic and sustainable development in the Middle East and North Africa, including in Yemen and Palestine. The strategy applies from 21 March 2024 to 31 December 2027 and provides a total of approximately SEK 2.3 billion.

Today, the Government decided to refer proposals to the Council on Legislation, including a proposal that all asylum seekers should stay in Swedish Migration Agency accommodation, instead of arranging accommodation on their own.