Foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Carl Bildt. Photo: Karin Nylund/MFA
Bildt meets United Arab Emirates foreign minister
On Wednesday, 29 June, a meeting was held between Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt and United Arab Emirates Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
"Sweden and the United Arab Emirates have a good relation that is developing strongly," said Mr Bildt at a press conference. Some 3 000 Swedes live in the United Arab Emirates, 200 Swedish companies operate there and these figures are increasing.
Aside from relations between the two countries, the foreign ministers also discussed developments in the Middle East and North Africa and their significance for the region, as well as the peace process between Israel and Palestine during the bilateral meeting.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan also met Maud Olofsson, Minister for Enterprise and Energy, during his visit and signed an agreement with Sweden in the area of environmental technology.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Almedalen: human rights, freedom on the Internet and Sweden as a brand
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is participating in various ways in this year's Almedalen Week on Gotland. Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt, Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson and Minister for Trade Ewa Björling will be there. Thursday will see the presentation of the Ministry's reports on human rights in more than 180 countries, and on Friday all three ministers will take part in a seminar on freedom on the Internet.
United Arab Emirates' foreign minister to Stockholm
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates' Minister of Foreign Affairs, will visit Stockholm on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 June for bilateral talks with Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt and others. The agenda includes developments in the Middle East and North Africa. A press conference with Mr Bildt and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be held on Wednesday.
Patent protection at extraordinary Council meeting in the EU
A single European patent is getting closer and closer. A decision on patent protection is expected at an extraordinary meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council on Monday, 27 June. Great savings for enterprises can be expected.
Statement by Carl Bildt on Belarusian police violence and arrests
"We condemn the violence towards, and arrests of, peaceful demonstrators carried out by the Belarusian regime. Only yesterday evening, a Swedish diplomat in Minsk was also subjected to this violence. This is completely unacceptable and constitutes further confirmation of the country's lack of respect for fundamental democratic rights, a shortcoming that Sweden and the EU have clearly criticised on a great number of occasions."
"In response to what has happened we are today summoning the Belarusian ambassador."
"We support an open Europe"
On Friday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt met his Danish colleague Lene Espersen in Stockholm. The main issue at today's meeting was the planned Danish measures to tighten border controls.
Azerbaijan's foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov, the head of the Nobel museum in Azerbaijan and foreign minister Carl Bildt
Carl Bildt discusses conflict resolution in Azerbaijan and Armenia
Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt has spent the last two days in Azerbaijan and Armenia to get an up-to-date view of the political situation and recent developments in both countries.
Diploma ceremony with the water programme Photo: Karin Nylund/MFA
Ewa Björling presented water training diplomas to Iraqi officials
A training programme in sustainable water management for Iraqi public officials has been held for the second time in Stockholm. The water programme is a pilot project intended to match countries' needs with Swedish cutting-edge expertise.
A five-day training course concluded on Monday 13 June with a ceremony at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, at which Minister for Trade Ewa Björling presented diplomas to the 24 participants. Their jobs in Iraq are with authorities that are working to build up infrastructure. An effective system for drinking water and waste water is a basic premise of a functioning society, and the water sector has been given top priority by the Iraqi government. Sweden's expertise in this area is well recognised in Iraq and cooperation with Sweden is in demand. A follow-up training programme will take place in Iraq in the autumn.
Sweden's Ambassador to the UN, Jan Knutsson.
Freedom of the Internet - 40 countries support Sweden
On Friday, 10 June, Sweden will address the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The topic of the address is that human rights must be respected online in the same way as they are offline. The group of countries supporting the address are representative of all different parts of the world.
Carl Bildt to visit Southern Caucasus
Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt will tour the Southern Caucasus region from Sunday 12 June until Wednesday 15 June. He will visit Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia to get an update of the political situation in the region and for bilateral talks with the countries' foreign ministers.
