Foreign relations of Sweden
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The foreign policy of
United Nations
Sweden has been a member of the United Nations since November 19, 1946, and participates actively in the activities of the organization, including as an elected member of the Security Council (1957–1958, 1975–1976, 1997–1998 and 2017–2018), providing Dag Hammarskjöld as the second elected Secretary-General of the UN, etc. The strong interest of the Swedish Government and people in international cooperation and peacemaking has been supplemented in the early 1980s by renewed attention to Nordic and European security questions.
Sweden decided not to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.[2]
European Union
After the then Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson had submitted Sweden's application in July 1991 the negotiations began in February 1993. Finally, on January 1, 1995, Sweden became a member of the European Union. While some argued that it went against Sweden's historic policy of neutrality, where Sweden had not joined during the Cold War because it was seen as incompatible with neutrality, others viewed the move as a natural extension of the economic cooperation that had been going on since 1972 with the EU.[citation needed] Sweden addressed this controversy by reserving the right not to participate in any future EU defense alliance. In membership negotiations in 1993–1994, Sweden also had reserved the right to make the final decision on whether to join the third stage of the EMU "in light of continued developments." In a nationwide referendum in November 1994, 52.3 percent of participants voted in favour of EU membership. Voter turnout was high, 83.3 percent of the eligible voters voted. The main Swedish concerns included winning popular support for EU cooperation, EU enlargement, and strengthening the EU in areas such as economic growth, job promotion, and environmental issues.
In polls taken a few years after the referendum, many Swedes indicated that they were unhappy with Sweden's membership in the EU. However, after Sweden successfully hosted its first presidency of the EU in the first half of 2001, most Swedes today have a more positive attitude towards the EU. The government, with the support of the
Nordic Council
Swedish foreign policy has been the result of a wide consensus. Sweden cooperates closely with its Nordic neighbors, formally in economic and social matters through the Nordic Council of Ministers and informally in political matters through direct consultation.
Nonalignment

Swedish neutrality and nonalignment policy in peacetime may partly explain how the country could stay out of wars since 1814. Swedish governments have not defined nonalignment as precluding outspoken positions in international affairs. Government leaders have favored national liberation movements that enjoy broad support among developing world countries, with notable attention to Africa. During the Cold War, Sweden was suspicious of the superpowers, which it saw as making decisions affecting small countries without always consulting those countries. With the end of the Cold War, that suspicion has lessened somewhat, although Sweden still chooses to remain nonaligned. Sweden has devoted particular attention to issues of disarmament, arms control, and nuclear nonproliferation and has contributed importantly to UN and other international peacekeeping efforts, including the NATO-led peacekeeping forces in the Balkans. It sat as an observer in the Western European Union from 1995 to 2011, but it is not an active member of NATO's Partnership for Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.
Sweden's engagement with NATO was especially strengthened during the term of Anders Fogh Rasmussen.[3]
Sweden's nonalignment policy has led it to serve as the
In May 2022, Sweden formally applied to join the
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in March 2022 that her government would have to respond if Sweden became a NATO member.[5] However, in June 2022 President Vladimir Putin contradicted the statement, claiming that Sweden and Finland can "join whatever they want” on the condition that there will be no NATO military deployment in either country.[6]
Military
Sweden has employed its military on numerous occasions since the end of the Cold War, from Bosnia and Congo to Afghanistan and Libya. According to one study, "this military activism is driven both by the Swedish internationalist tradition of "doing good" in the world, but also for instrumental purposes. These include a desire for political influence in international institutions, an interest in collective milieu shaping, and a concern to improve the interoperability and effectiveness of the Swedish military."[7]
Participation in international organizations
- AfDB
- Amnesty International
- AsDB
- Australia Group
- BIS
- CBSS
- Council of Europe
- CERN
- EAPC
- EBRD
- ECE
- EIB
- ESA
- EU
- FAO
- G-9
- G-10
- IADB
- IAEA
- IBRD
- ICAO
- ICC
- ICCt
- ICRM
- IDA
- IEA
- IFAD
- IFC
- IFRCS
- IHO
- ILO
- IMF
- IMO
- Inmarsat
- Intelsat
- Interpol
- IOC
- IOM
- ISO
- ITU
- ITUC
- MINURSO
- NAC
- Nordic Council
- NEA
- NIB
- NSG
- OECD
- OPCW
- OSCE
- PCA
- PFP
- Transport Community
- UN
- UNCTAD
- UNESCO
- UNHCR
- UNHRC
- UNIDO
- UNIKOM
- UNITAR
- UNMEE
- UNMIBH
- UNMIK
- UNMOGIP
- UNMOP
- UNOMIG
- UNTAET
- UNTSO
- UNEP
- UPU
- WCO
- WEU (observer)
- EFTU
- WFP
- WHO
- WIPO
- WMO
- WTrO
- Zangger Committee
Multilateral
Organization | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
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See 1995 enlargement of the European Union | |
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See Sweden–NATO relations |
Africa
Region | Formal relations began | Notes |
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See Burkina Faso–Sweden relations
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See Ethiopia–Sweden relations
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1974 | See Guinea-Bissau–Sweden relations
Sweden established official diplomatic relations with Guinea-Bissau in 1974, the same year Guinea-Bissau formally gained independence from Portugal.[8]
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See Kenya–Sweden relations
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See Namibia–Sweden relations
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See South Africa-Sweden relations
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See Sweden–Tunisia relations
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Americas
Region | Formal relations began | Notes |
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See Argentina–Sweden relations
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See Brazil–Sweden relations
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See Canada–Sweden relations
Relations with Canada are close, positive and constructive. Both countries have strong commitments to peacekeeping, UN reform, development assistance, environmental protection, sustainable development, and the promotion and protection of human rights.
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1827 | See Chile–Sweden relations
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11 December 1874 |
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16 June 1975 |
Both countries established diplomatic relations on June 16, 1975.
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July 29, 1885 | See Mexico–Sweden relations.
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See Peru–Sweden relations
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See Sweden–United States relations.
Sweden and the United States have had strong ties since the 18th century.
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See Sweden–Uruguay relations
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Asia
Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
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8 May 1992 |
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See China–Sweden relations
In July 2019, the UN ambassadors from 22 nations, including Sweden, signed a joint letter to the | |
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19 September 1992 | See Georgia–Sweden relations
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See India–Sweden relations. | |
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See Indonesia–Sweden relations. | |
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See Iran–Sweden relations. | |
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See Iraq–Sweden relations.
Iraq has an embassy in Stockholm and Sweden has an embassy in Baghdad.[18] Sweden is one of the largest donors to the protection force for UN personnel in Iraq, that was established in 2004. | |
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See Israel–Sweden relations.
Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1949. Israel has an embassy in Stockholm.[19] Sweden has an embassy in Tel Aviv.[20] | |
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1868 | See Japan–Sweden relations.
Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1868 by signing the Swedish-Japanese Treaty in 1868,.[21] |
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See Malaysia–Sweden relations.
Diplomatic relations were established in 1958.[22] Sweden has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysia has an embassy in Stockholm. As of 2009, 90 Swedish companies are present in Malaysia and about 450 Swedish citizens live in Malaysia. | |
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October 30, 2014 | See Palestine–Sweden relations. |
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April 7, 1973[23] | See North Korea–Sweden relations |
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March 11, 1959[24] | See South Korea–Sweden relations
The establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Sweden began on March 11, 1959.[25]
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See Sweden–Turkey relations.
Both countries are full members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Union for the Mediterranean. Sweden supports Turkey's European Union membership.[26][27] Sweden's Green Party has criticized France and Germany's opposition to Turkey's membership.[28][29]
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Europe
Region | Formal relations began | Notes |
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1992 | There are 3,000 Belarusian living in Sweden and above 1,000 Swedes living in Belarus.
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There is an ethnic group of Walloons living in Sweden making up the 8,000 Belgians living in Sweden and 5,000 Swedes living in Belgium.
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July 6, 1914 | There are approximately 3,000 Swedes living in Bulgaria and
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See Cyprus–Sweden relations
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See Denmark–Sweden relations.
Today, both countries are separated by the Øresund, which links the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Both countries are full members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, of the Council of Europe, and of the European Union. There are around 21,000 Swedes living in Denmark and there are around 42,000 Danes living in Sweden.
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See Estonia–Sweden relations.
Estonia was under Swedish occupation between 1561 and 1721. Sweden re-recognized Estonia on August 27, 1991.
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See Finland–Sweden relations.
Finnish–Swedish relations have a long history (Sweden and Finland were the same country for several hundred years), due to the close relationship between Finland and Sweden. Particularly in Finland, the issue emerges in frequent exposés of Finnish history, and in motives for governmental proposals and actions as reported in Finnish news broadcasts in English or other foreign languages. In Sweden, this relationship is a recurrent important theme of 20th-century history, although maybe by most Swedes considered to be an issue of purely historical relevance now that both countries have been members of the European Union since 1995.
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See France–Sweden relations.
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See Germany–Sweden relations
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See Greece–Sweden relations
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See Hungary–Sweden relations
Diplomacy relations between the two countries started on December 28, 1945.
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See Iceland–Sweden relations
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See Ireland–Sweden relations
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See Italy–Sweden relations
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See Kosovo–Sweden relations
Sweden recognized Kosovo on March 4, 2008.[30] Liaison Office of Sweden in Pristina, subordinated to the Embassy in Skopje, North Macedonia.[31] On March 8, 2008, the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt became the first foreign minister to officially visit Kosovo since it declared its independence.[32] Sweden currently has 243 troops serving in Kosovo as peacekeepers in the NATO led Kosovo Force.[33]
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See Lithuania–Sweden relations
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See Moldova–Sweden relations
Sweden is one of Moldova's top donors. From 1996, Sweden provided Moldova with technical assistance worth 30 million dollars, which significantly helped strengthen sectors such as: protection of human rights, democracy, Swedish International Development Agency.[34][35] In 2007, the Swedish Government established the 2007–2010 strategy of cooperation with Moldova, which sees 11 million euros in financial assistance annually for three important sectors: good governance, strengthening of com petitiveness in the rural area and reduction of vulnerability in the energy sector.[34]
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See Norway–Sweden relations
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See Poland–Sweden relations
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See Portugal–Sweden relations
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1 November 1916 |
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See Russia–Sweden relations.
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See Serbia–Sweden relations.
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See Spain–Sweden relations
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See Sweden–Ukraine relations.
A Ukrainian information bureau was opened 1916 in Stockholm by Volodymyr Stepankivskyi and M. Zaliznyak. In 1918 an official diplomatic mission from the Ukrainian People's Republic headed by K. Lossky was opened in Stockholm.[36] Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Sweden were established on January 13, 1992.
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See Sweden–United Kingdom relations.
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Oceania
Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
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See Australia–Sweden relations.
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See New Zealand–Sweden relations
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See also
- Politics of Sweden
- List of diplomatic missions in Sweden
- List of diplomatic missions of Sweden
- List of state visits made by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
- Scandinavian defense union
- Visa requirements for Swedish citizens
- Arctic policy of Sweden
- List of ambassadors of Sweden to Ukraine
References
- ^ WorldBank. "Military expenditure (% of GDP)". report. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- ^ "Sweden declines to sign UN nuclear ban treaty". The Local. July 12, 2019.
- ^ NATO Review. "Sweden: a special NATO partner?". NATO Review. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ Emmott, Robin; Devranoglu, Nevzat (May 18, 2022). "Finland, Sweden apply to join NATO amid Turkish objections". Reuters.
- ^ "Russia Sends Bone-Chilling Message To Sweden & Finland; Threatens 'Military Implications' If They Go The Ukraine Way". The EurAsian Times. February 25, 2022.
- ^ "Putin issues fresh warning to Finland and Sweden on installing Nato infrastructure". the Guardian. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
- )
- ^ Sellström, Tor. Sweden and National Liberation in Southern Africa Vol. 2, Solidarity and assistance 1970-1994. Uppsala: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, 2002. pp. 69–70.
- ^ Canada-Sweden Relations Archived February 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada – Data table". April 2, 2008. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ Embassy of Sweden in Chile
- ^ a b Media.Az. "Как азербайджанцы-мигранты адаптируются в Швеции? Media.Az поговорила с Конгрессом азербайджанцев Швеции". media.az (in Russian). Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ "Эмиль Мирзоев: В Швеции мы все доверяем друг другу, а Азербайджане никто никому не верит". Minval.az. April 18, 2017. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ "Felsida". Archived from the original on February 21, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ "International Affirmation and Recognition of Armenian Genocide". Archived from the original on July 15, 2007. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
- ^ "Which Countries Are For or Against China's Xinjiang Policies?". The Diplomat. July 15, 2019.
- ^ "More than 20 ambassadors condemn China's treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang". The Guardian. July 11, 2019.
- ^ Swedish embassy in Baghdad Archived September 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Israels ambassad i Sverige". Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ "Tel Aviv – SwedenAbroad". Archived from the original on April 13, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ スウェーデン基礎データ. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Japanese). November 17, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ "National Day of Sweden Celebrations in Malaysia". Scandasia.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved June 5, 2009.
6 June 2008 does not only represent the National Day of Sweden, but also marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between Sweden and Malaysia. ...
- ^ Wertz, Daniel; Oh, JJ; Kim, Insung (August 2016). Issue Brief: DPRK Diplomatic Relations (PDF). The National Committee on North Korea. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
- ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea". www.mofa.go.kr. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013.
- ^ "페이지를 찾을 수 없습니다. 요청하신 페이지를 찾을 수 없거나, 서버에서 삭제되었습니다. Url을 확인해 주세요".
- ^ "Turkey Has Friends in EU, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt". Turkish Weekly. April 21, 2009. Archived from the original on August 5, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
- ^ "EU'S UPCOMING PRESIDENT EXTENDS FULL SUPPORT FOR TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP". TurkNet. May 8, 2009. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
- ^ "Sweden's Greens: Opposition to Turkey due to Islamophobia". Today's Zaman. May 11, 2009. Archived from the original on May 28, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
- ^ "German, French Leaders Oppose Turkey Joining EU". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
- ^ "Sweden recognises the Republic of Kosovo" (Press release). Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. March 4, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2008.
- ^ Liaison Office of Sweden in Pristina, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
- ^ Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt to visit Kosovo and Macedonia, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, March 6, 2008.
- ^ "Kosovo Force (KFOR)" nato.int Link accessed 21-07-09.
- ^ a b "Moldpres". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ "Moldpres". Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ "Посольство України в Королівстві Швеція". Archived from the original on April 30, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
Further reading
- Elgström, Ole, and Magnus Jerneck. "Activism and adaptation: Swedish security strategies, 1814–85." Diplomacy and Statecraft 8.3 (1997): 210–236.
- Grimberg, Carl. A History of Sweden (1935) online free
- Horn, David Bayne. Great Britain and Europe in the eighteenth century (1967) covers 1603–1702; pp 236–69.
- Lindström, Peter, and Svante Norrhem. Flattering Alliances: Scandinavia, Diplomacy and the Austrian-French Balance of Power, 1648–1740 (Nordic Academic Press, 2013).
- Makko, Aryo. Ambassadors of Realpolitik: Sweden, the CSCE and the Cold War (2016) excerpt
- Nordstrom, Byron J. The History of Sweden (2002) excerpt and text search; also full text online free to borrow
- Salmon, Patrick. Scandinavia and the great powers 1890–1940 (Cambridge University Press, 2002).
- Sevin, Efe. Public diplomacy and the implementation of foreign policy in the US, Sweden and Turkey (Springer International Publishing, 2017).
External links
- CIA World Factbook – Sweden
- United States Department of State – Sweden
- "Sweden and Africa — a policy to address common challenges and opportunities" White paper delivered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Riksdag March 6, 2008