On the invitation to participate in the Annual Meeting of the European Council for Foreign Relations in Stockholm, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, visited Sweden on 6-8 June 2023. In addition to the ECFR meeting, the MOS held bilateral meetings with the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade and the First Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Parliament. During the visit, she also held meetings with CEOs of leading businesses, and interacted with media and Swedish TV and Radio.
The Minister of State conveyed felicitations to the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Johan Forssell, on the Swedish National Day. She shared Pakistan’s commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation, especially in the fields of renewable energy, sustainable technologies, waste management, ICT, export of skilled labour and R&D. She urged Swedish companies to take advantage of business-friendly environment in Pakistan. Expressing gratitude to Sweden for its assistance to Pakistan in the aftermath of devastating floods, the MOS invited the Swedish Minister to visit Pakistan, possibly along with a business delegation to strengthen commercial and trade ties between the two countries.
The Minister of State also held a meeting with First Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag), Kenneth G Forslund. In the meeting bilateral parliamentary relations, as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest, were discussed. Acknowledging the burgeoning bilateral ties based on mutual respect, MOS noted that Pakistan and Sweden will celebrate 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations in 2024. She expressed Pakistan’s desire to enhance engagement and cooperation with the Swedish parliament.
MOS Khar held meetings with a select group of business leaders, including Ayad Al-Saffar, CEO Ahlens, Matias Martinsson, CIO Tundra Fonder, Martin Schedin, CEO Seamless Distribution and Rafael Fabrega, Vice President Food for Development, Tetra Pak, and invited them to enhance bilateral collaboration. She assured them of government’s support to facilitate investment in Pakistan.
During the visit, the Minister of State also interacted with the Swedish media and talked to Swedish Television, Swedish radio and daily newspaper Dagens Neyter.
Islamabad
8 June 2023
