International

The International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752 today issued the following joint statement:

Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden will pay a State Visit to Jordan on 15–17 November, at the invitation of His Majesty King Abdullah II.

The Nordic defence ministers convened for a virtual consultation on 30 September 2022 and gave the following statement.

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde gave their comments following the meeting of the Government’s security policy council on Wednesday 28 September. Head of the Swedish Coast Guard’s Operations Department Johan Norrman was also present.

On Tuesday 27 September, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde and Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist outlined the Government’s views on the explosions that have caused leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

In light of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s televised speech on the morning of 21 September, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson later the same day issued the following statement:

Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde and Minister for International Development Cooperation Matilda Ernkrans will visit New York to participate in the high-level week, known as UNGA Week, in connection with the opening of the UN General Assembly on 19–23 September.

Sweden has chosen to intervene (participate) in two court cases concerning Russia’s responsibility for violations of international law. A case between Ukraine and Russia on allegations of genocide is pending before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. At the same time, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is hearing an inter-state case against Russia concerning serious violations of human rights during the war in Ukraine.

The prime ministers of Sweden, Denmark and Finland have jointly written a letter to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on the importance of urgent action to tackle soaring energy prices.

Security around the Baltic Sea and enhanced defence cooperation were on the agenda when Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist met his Nordic and Baltic colleagues on Gotland.

(The spoken word applies)

On Thursday 11 August, Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist will travel to Copenhagen to take part in an international donor conference in support of Ukraine. Defence ministers from 17 countries will take part in the conference to discuss financial support for Ukraine as well as defence equipment and military training support.

Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist, Denmark’s Minister of Defence Morten Bødskov and Norway’s Minister of Defence Bjørn Arild Gram met on 8 August in Malmö. They discussed enhanced cooperation between the three countries to contribute to security and stability in the Baltic Sea region.

The Government has decided that the Swedish Armed Forces will send instructors to the UK to give Ukrainian citizens basic military training to enable them to serve in Ukraine’s armed forces. The aim is to make it possible for Ukraine to maintain and strengthen its defence capabilities.

The strategy will apply in 2022–2026 and provides a total of SEK 1 700 million for activities implemented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

On 13 July, the Government of Sweden announced its plan to increase its financial support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to SEK 3 billion over the next three-year period. Sweden’s support will contribute to the fund’s goal of saving 20 million lives and reducing mortality from HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by two-thirds.

On 13–15 July, State Secretary Anders Grönvall will head the Swedish delegation taking part in the 2022 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The theme of this year’s HLPF is ‘Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’.

A number of exercises within the framework of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) will be held in Sweden and Finland in the coming months, following the two countries’ applications for NATO membership. Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist attended a JEF exercise at Skaraborg Air Force Wing (F 7) in Såtenäs on 5 July.