Trade and investment promotion

Opinion piece Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 17 Sept. 2016 by German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth and Sweden's Minister for EU Affairs and Trade Ann Linde.

Opinion piece in Aftonbladet 2 September 2016 by Ann Linde and Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson. A free trade agreement with the United States is important if we are to create a greater number of competitive jobs in Sweden. Neither the Government nor the Swedish Trade Union Confederation subscribes to the view that the negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership – TTIP – between the EU and the US have failed or should be abandoned. There are few tools that can genuinely increase the number of jobs – new progressive and comprehensive trade agreements are one such tool.

Opinion piece in Svenska Dagbladet 30 August 2016 by Margot Wallström, Marina Kaljurand, Linas Linkevičius, and Edgars Rinkēvičs.

Opinion piece in Dagens industri, 22 August 2016 More and more criticism of globalisation and free trade is being voiced around the world. The solution is to be part of development and to offer a strong safety net and an active labour market policy, writes Minister for EU Affairs and Trade Ann Linde.

On 15–16 August, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will travel to Belgrade for talks with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and President Tomislav Nikolić. The talks will focus on growth and migration issues, European cooperation, development in the region and how relations between the two countries can be developed.

On 11 July, Minister for EU Affairs and Trade Ann Linde met the French and German EU ministers in Berlin to discuss how these Member States can pursue a common policy now that Sweden’s closest partner in the EU, the United Kingdom, has voted to leave the EU. It is important for Sweden to find new strong partners to enable it to take part in shaping the future of the EU.

Sweden’s prosperity is built on innovative and successful export companies that time and again have managed to renew and reorganise production and products to keep pace with changing markets. The Government’s strategy for new industrialisation is an important stage of the effort to benefit from the window of opportunity for new industrialisation that is now open to Sweden.

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia will pay a State Visit to Germany on 5–8 October 2016 at the invitation of Federal President Joachim Gauck. The Government will be represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström and Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg.

Speech by Margot Wallström at the meeting with the General Secretary and Permanent Observers. The Organization of American States' General Assembly 13 June 2016, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Check against delivery.

On 13–17 June, Minister for Upper Secondary School and Adult Education and Training Aida Hadzialic is traveling to the United States to participate in the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the world’s largest video game trade fair, in Los Angeles, California. The aim is to promote the Swedish gaming industry.

A unique event organised by the Government Offices together with the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise brought together representatives of business, civil society, the EU and the United States for a full-day dialogue on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

In this Communication, the Swedish Government provides an account of Sweden’s export control policy with respect to military equipment and dual-use items in 2015.

This week, Sweden is hosting an international meeting on how we can simplify trade in our important eastern neighbourhood. Participants from more than 40 countries are coming to Stockholm to exchange experiences and learn from each other about how to best simplify trade and customs procedures.

On 31 May, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs – together with the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise – is hosting a high-level dialogue on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP. Minister for EU Affairs and Trade Ann Linde will take part, together with EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström and the United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Michael Froman.

In connection with the government reshuffle on 25 May 2016, Ann Linde took up her new office as Minister for EU Affairs and Trade at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Ms Linde has had an extensive career, both internationally and at the Government Offices. Most recently she served as State Secretary to Minister for Home Affairs Anders Ygeman at the Ministry of Justice.

The world has gone digital. In an increasingly connected world, the distance between nations, markets and individuals is shrinking. This digitisation enhances our vision of the single market, one economy without barriers. The question of how to adapt the single market to a modern digital economy continues to be a top priority for Europe, its tech companies and for more traditional industry. Sweden and Italy now join forces to promote a more competitive and digital Europe acting as a multiplier of opportunities and innovation for all our citizens.

Today, 13 May, President Obama hosted the US-Nordic Leaders Summit in Washington DC. Talks were held at the White House with the Prime Ministers of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland, and Finland’s President. The talks resulted in a joint declaration that addresses a number of issues that are important for Sweden, ranging from security policy to climate change.

On 10 May, Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet began her State Visit to Sweden. The President is visiting Sweden at the invitation of HM the King. The Visit will last from 10 to 12 May and is the first incoming State Visit from Chile to Sweden.

Within the framework of the Government’s export strategy, the MFA and the Kreativ Sektor (Creative Sector) project have together created Showcase Sweden, a digital showcase for the Swedish cultural and creative industries. The aim is to make creative content accessible in a coordinated and useful format that can be used as a tool for press contacts, talks and meetings, for instance, but that can also be shown on screens in lobbies and waiting rooms and distributed to the broad public, potential customers and recipients of Swedish exports.

On Monday 11 April, an adaptation of the organisation and working procedures of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs enters into force to better enable the Ministry to address the challenges facing Sweden’s foreign, security and development policy in terms of rapid and complex changes around the world.