Doha: HE State Secretary to Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Magnus Nilsson, described the Qatari-Swedish relations as good, and they are growing steadily.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of his visit to Doha, His Excellency indicated that the second round of political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Sweden has achieved remarkable progress, expressing his hope that the strong cooperation between the two countries will continue.
His Excellency indicated that they discussed, in addition to the above, international issues, support for the United Nations, and support for mediation efforts in many issues around the world.
On the role of the State of Qatar in establishing peace and security in the world, His Excellency stressed that the State of Qatar plays an important role at the regional and global levels, as it is a major player in the humanitarian field and is a strong supporter of humanitarian aid at the level of the United Nations and in crises, adding that Sweden share with the State of Qatar the visions of taking responsibility in international crises.
Regarding what the Qatari-Swedish talks dealt with, His Excellency said that they discussed a number of issues, especially the aspect related to commerce, adding: "I think we have many companies that are able to cooperate and strengthen trade relations between the two countries,".
His Excellency pointed out that his country is a prominent player in the field of climate change and the environment, referring in this regard to the visit of HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser bin Ahmed bin Ali Al-Thani, to Stockholm last week, where they discussed issues of common interest in areas of concern.
His Excellency pointed out that the volume of trade between the two countries is constantly developing, as Swedish exports to the State of Qatar rose from QR 556 million in the year 2020 to about QR 1.112 billion in 2021.
His Excellency said that the discussions included the issue of liquefied natural gas and its relationship to the energy crisis in Europe, although his country does not supply many energy products, adding that addressing the issue of energy supplies within the European space is important for Sweden, as a member of the European Union, adding that they discussed ways to strengthen relations in this regard in Europe, especially in light of the difficult security conditions that the continent is going through.
Regarding Qatars organization of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, His Excellency stressed that Qatars organization of these events will be at the highest level, expressing his regret that his country did not qualify for the finals, and wished in the same context good luck for the participating teams, and to watch matches at a good level.
His Excellency stressed that the goal of his visit to Qatar is to develop partnership opportunities between Qatar and Sweden in the commercial field, in addition to strengthening cooperation in the fields of scientific research and education, which are topics in which the two countries share visions.
Regarding the steps taken by his country to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), His Excellency indicated that Sweden submitted a request to join NATO, especially after the war in Ukraine.
His Excellency said that this war led to the deterioration of the security situation in Europe, and that is why both Sweden and Finland decided to apply for NATO membership, and they received strong support from many members of the military alliance, and Sweden is engaged in talks that are serious and fruitful with Turkey on issues which they have proposed in this regard.
Regarding Sweden's position on the current war in Ukraine, His Excellency indicated that Sweden denounces and condemns this war and that, like the European Union, we are united as a union regarding the sanctions imposed against Russia.
To conclude his statement, His Excellency expressed his hope that the imposed sanctions had sent a clear message to Russia that it had violated international law, that this war must end, that it must withdraw from Ukraine, and that peace should be established.
