Two out of three at the Göteborg Book Fair
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs was represented by two of its three ministers and a number of officials at the Göteborg Book Fair last weekend.
Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson at the Göteborg Book Fair. Photo: Maria Söderberg
The Göteborg Book Fair has evolved into a forum not only for authors and bookworms, but also for people interested in society and opinion-formers, who present their messages at seminars and from their stands.
The hub for NGOs and politically-oriented organisations is the International Square. On Saturday Ms Carlsson held a seminar on Sweden's new development policy on the Main Stage at the International Square. During the seminar she also presented the Government's Communication to the Riksdag on democracy assistance.
Belarus in focus
Malena Mård, Head of the MFA Department for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Shorty before the Minister for International Development Cooperation spoke, Malena Mård was on stage to reply to questions about developments in Belarus from the photographer Maria Söderberg, a frequent visitor to the country.
"Contacts and cooperation in the cultural sphere are extremely important for democratic development," said Malena Mård, who could point to both positive and negative trends in the country, which is under authoritarian rule.
Mixed for visitors Others appearing on the Main Stage included our HIV/AIDS Ambassador Lennarth Hjelmåker, who had been invited by the IOGT-NTO movement and other organisations to spotlight the fact that HIV is on the increase while our awareness is decreasing. Caroline Stein from the MFA Department of International Law and Human Rights took part in a breakfast seminar focusing on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
At the Government Offices stand, which was placed in the sea of publishers and media companies, Minister for Trade Ewa Björling was interviewed by Britt-Marie Mattsson, foreign correspondent of the newspaper Göteborgs Posten. The questions ranged from weapons exports and the Foreign Service budget to who Dr Björling would vote for in the US presidential election if she was American. The MFA stand at the International Square had a steady stream of visitors interested in Government policies and the implementation of human rights in Swedens foreign policy.
