Foreign policy and defense

Official homepage for Sweden chairmanship

Sweden has been a member of the European Union since 1995 and is working to create a Europe characterized by democracy, solidarity and openness. Sweden’s chairmanship of the EU in 2001 will be a new milestone in the country’s EU involvement.

Sweden is an active participant in global cooperation. Strong support for the United Nations is a cornerstone of its foreign policy. Sweden was a member of the UN Security Council during the period 1997-1998. Other basic elements are promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, international disarmament and protection of the environment. It is also a member of many other international organizations, such as the OECD and the World Bank. Sweden paid 0.9% of its GNI in international development aid in 1997.

Sweden is a military non-allied country. From this position it participates actively in the efforts to establish a new Euro-Atlantic security structure for the whole of Europe, including Russia. The aim of this is to make better provision for dealing with the persisting local and regional conflicts in Europe. Central to these efforts are Sweden’s involvement in the Partnership for Peace (PFP) and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.

A kiss at the Swedish castle in Stockholm

Sweden has provided troops for UNPROFOR and IFOR/SFOR in the former Yugoslavia. The country’s participation in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe, as well as the Western European Union (WEU) are further elements of its efforts to achieve greater security in Europe.

More information about foreign policy and defense is available from Swedish Institute