His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden received on Monday this week Swiss Federal President Guy Parmelin in Princess Sibylla’s Apartment at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. Federal President Guy Parmelin is currently on an official visit to Stockholm to mark 100 years of Swiss diplomatic presence in Sweden. During the Federal President’s visit, he will also meet the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Andreas Norlén, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Ministers Ibrahim Baylan and Matilda Ernkrans.
The conversation between the Swiss president and the Swedish king focused on how to further strengthen the diplomatic relationship between the two European nations and develop an already well-functioning economic cooperation. Sweden is Switzerland’s most important trade and investment partner in the Nordic region. The purpose of the talks was also to discuss common goals at the international level, European policy and political, economic and scientific cooperation. In connection with the visit a “Memorandum of Understanding” on innovation collaboration was signed.
The Swedish king has a good relationship with Switzerland. The Swedish Royal Family has vacationed in the Swiss Alps a number of times. It was also in Switzerland in 2015 that Queen Silvia was involved in a ski accident that attracted a lot of attention. The Swedish king has also many times in recent years been on official assignments in Switzerland and knows the country well.
Switzerland and Sweden has a very good diplomatic relations and maintain active bilateral contacts. The two countries pursue similar foreign policy goals, especially with regard to human rights, peacebuilding, the environment, development cooperation and climate protection. Research institutions from the two countries work together within the framework of EU research programmes.
Although the anniversary for 100 years is this year, Sweden and Switzerland have had relations further back than that. The Thirty Years’ War from 1618 to 1648 triggered considerable contact between Sveits and the kingdom of Sweden, which was involved in the war, and resulted in Sweden’s ten-year occupation of the Fricktal region.
