Nordic affairs

More and more children and young people are becoming involved in criminal networks, and stopping recruitment requires early interventions, knowledge-based methods and collaboration. Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer and Minister for Social Services Camilla Waltersson Grönvall therefore hosted Nordic countries, including the autonomous regions, for a discussion about children and young people who are, or risk being, involved in crime. The meeting was held within the framework of the ongoing Swedish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

On 10–16 March, Minister for Gender Equality Paulina Brandberg is taking part in the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), also known as the UN women’s commission, in New York. The theme of this year’s session is combating poverty and how institutions and financing can be strengthened from a gender equality perspective. Ms Brandberg is also hosting the activities arranged by the Nordic Council of Ministers, of which Sweden is holding the Presidency in 2024. Ms Brandberg will hold two policy speeches: Sweden’s policy speech and a policy speech for an LGBTI Core Group that includes Sweden.

On Monday 5 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström and Minister for EU Affairs, with responsibility for Nordic affairs, Jessika Roswall informed the diplomatic corps of the priorities for the N5 and NB8 and the Nordic Council of Ministers, all of which will be chaired by Sweden this year. Around 100 diplomatic representatives attended the briefing.

Speech by Minister for EU Affairs, with responsibility for Nordic affairs, Jessika Roswall for the diplomatic corps at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm, Monday 5 February. Check against delivery.

Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström for the diplomatic corps at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm, Monday 5 February. Check against delivery.

Today is the first day of the one-year Swedish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the official body for intergovernmental cooperation in the Nordic region. The programme for the Swedish Presidency is based on the vision of the Nordic region being the world’s most integrated and sustainable region by 2030. A special priority of the Swedish Presidency is to eliminate border barriers and promote mobility and integration.

On Wednesday 13 December, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson took part in a Nordic-Ukrainian Summit with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir.

At the second Nordic-Ukrainian Summit in Oslo on 13 December, the Prime Ministers of Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden and the Presidents of Finland and Ukraine issued the following statement:

Opinion piece of 13 December 2023 by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, President Sauli Niinistö, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir.

The Swedish and Finnish Governments will gather for a joint meeting in Sweden next year. This was conveyed by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo following their meeting at Harpsund on Friday 25:th of August.

On 13 July 2023, the Presidents of Finland and the United States and the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden met in Helsinki for the third U.S.-Nordic Leaders’ Summit. Building on the previous meetings in the same format, the leaders reconfirmed the strong U.S.-Nordic partnership and the intensifying cooperation between their countries, focusing on security, the environment, technology and society.

Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, 26 June 2023

Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström today presented the Government’s Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. This year’s Statement of Foreign Policy is Mr Billström’s first in his ministerial post.

On 15 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström presented the 2023 Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. Check against delivery.

On 2 December 2019, the Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Nordic Foreign Ministers, tasked me to write a report on Nordic Foreign and Security Policy in the same spirit as the one Thorvald Stoltenberg delivered in February 2009. My work took into account the establishment of Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) in November 2009. The mandate stipulated three tasks: • addressing global climate change • addressing hybrid threats and cyber issues • strengthening and reforming multilateralism and the rules-based international order. … - Björn Bjarnason