Ambassador: Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven to attend International Arctic Forum

Adviser to Russian President Anton Kobyakov and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Russian Federation Peter Ericson held a meeting in Moscow during which they discussed topical foreign policy issues concerning cooperation between the two countries as well as the participation of an official Swedish delegation in the ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ 5th International Arctic Forum at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre in St. Petersburg on 9–10 April.

“The delegation of government members and business representatives will be led by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. The Arctic is a important region for Sweden, and we are pleased about the opportunity to hold a constructive dialogue on its development at such a high level. I am certain that Stefan Löfven’s visit to the forum will help to deepen mutual understanding between our countries and expand contacts on issues concerning cooperation in the region”, Ericson said.

This will mark the first time that Löfven, who was re-elected as Prime Minister in January 2019, will take part in the International Arctic Forum. He will attend the plenary session on topical issues concerning regional development along with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Overall, Russia and Sweden have a mutual interest in strengthening trade and economic ties. Some 400 Swedish companies have offices and branches in Russia. Big business representatives in Sweden have shown a great interest in strengthening the business dialogue with their Russian partners, as evidenced by their active participation in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2018 and preparations for this year’s event. A lot of attention has been paid to such issues as strengthening security and stability in the Baltic Sea region as well as environmental cooperation. Our Swedish partners are actively involved in implementing environmental projects in Russia through international financial institutions”, Kobyakov said.

A programme of events involving the Swedish delegation, including summits, will be announced shortly.