Strategy for Sweden’s reform cooperation with Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and Türkiye 2026–2030 Reference No.: UD2026/02649
Published
The aim of Sweden’s international development assistance is to create conditions to improve the lives of people living in poverty and oppression. Development cooperation under this Strategy will therefore support countries’ own efforts to reform and establish closer ties with the EU. The implementation of the Strategy will be carried out in close collaboration between development assistance, trade and business promotion and take Swedish interests into account, based on the Government’s Reform agenda for Swedish development assistance.
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This Strategy governs Sweden’s reform cooperation with Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and Türkiye. The Eastern Europe component of the Strategy covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova. The Strategy also covers regional cooperation with Ukraine.
The strategy covers the period 2026–2030 and comprises a total of SEK 7.931 billion. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency’s (Sida) activities comprise SEK 4.39 billion in Eastern Europe, SEK 2.78 billion in the Western Balkans and SEK 250 million in Türkiye.
The Strategy governs the use of funds allocated each budget year in the appropriation directions for Sida, the Swedish Institute (SI) and the FBA. It also covers funding for the Consulate-General in Istanbul for each respective budget year in the appropriation directions regarding appropriation item 1:1 Development assistance.
Uppdatering
The strategy was updated on 28 May 2026 in connection with the Government’s decision (UD2026/08642) to amend certain strategies within the development cooperation. The update was made in light of the decision on a new strategy for the Folke Bernadotte Academy’s (FBA) work on peace and security promotion for the period 2026–2031. As a result, FBA’s mandate under the Strategy no longer applied.
