"Cultures grow through dialogue"
The seminar beginning on 29 October at the Instituto Cervantes in Stockholm was about the role of minorities and intercultural dialogue. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Instituto Cervantes and the embassies of Spain, Turkey, Greece, Kuwait and Morocco were jointly responsible for arranging the event.
Minister for International Development Cooperation meets Russian human rights defenders
Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson today met a group of human rights activists who have taken part in a two-day conference in Stockholm. Discussions at the conference, organised by the NGO, Civil Rights Defenders, included the human rights situation in the northern Caucasus.
Continued Swedish presence in New York
An honorary consulate-general will be established in New York, USA, on 1 January 2010. This will mean a continued Swedish presence in New York, which will be able to support Swedish export companies and promote US investment in Sweden. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs appointed David Dangoor Honorary Consul-General
European Development Days finished
The European Development Days (EDD) is an annual event jointly organised by the European Commission and the country holding the Presidency of the EU. Sweden hosted this year's EDD on 22-24 October at the Stockholm International Fairs in Älvsjö. With several thousand delegates, it was the largest meeting under the Swedish Presidency.
GAERC: Summit preparations and strengthened EU action in Afghanistan and Pakistan
The General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) is meeting on 26-27 October in Luxembourg. The ministers will make preparations for the upcoming EU Summit taking place on 29-30 October and reach a decision on the EU's Baltic Sea Strategy. Points on the foreign policy agenda include an action plan for stronger EU actions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the situation in Sri Lanka after the end of the war and the transition to a stronger EU presence in Bosnia. Minister for EU Affairs Cecilia Malmström and Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt will chair the Council meetings.
EU and USA continue to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina on the path towards EU and NATO
For the second time in ten days, Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt visited Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 20-21 October. Mr Bildt was joined on the visit by US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.
Swedish support to Afghanistan to remain long-term
The mission of Swedish forces in Afghanistan is to be extended to 31 December 2010. This is proposed in the Bill to be passed by the Government today. Together with the increase in Swedish development assistance and greater EU involvement, the Government wants to help to ensure that responsibility for the countrys development can be transferred to the Afghan authorities in due course.
Carl Bildt speaker at the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS)
Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt will be one of the main speakers at the annual EUISS conference in Paris, due to take place on 22-23 October. The conference gathers together a number of prominent academics and representatives of EU Member States, EU institutions, other countries and international organisations.
"Anti-democratic forces still strong in Zimbabwe"
Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson says that she is very concerned about what is happening in Zimbabwe after recent developments in the country. Following the imprisonment of MDC representative Roy Bennett a few days ago, Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his party decided to terminate their cooperation in the governing coalition with President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.
New meeting with party leaders in Bosnia
Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt will on Tuesday 20 October visit Sarajevo for a round of talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina's political party leaders.
