Page 4 - Sweden

US President Biden welcomes Turkey's agreement to back Sweden's NATO bid

Biden expressed readiness to work with Erdogan and Turkey on enhancing defence and deterrence. He stated that he looked forward to welcoming Sweden as US' 32nd NATO ally

Turkey agrees to send Sweden's Nato accession protocol to Parl: Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to send Sweden's NATO accession protocol to the Turkish Parliament as soon as possible. Stoltenberg made the announcement after talks with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the eve of a NATO summit in Lithuania. Sweden's NATO accession has been held up by objections from Turkiye since last year.

Thunberg charged with disobeying law enforcement during protest in Sweden

Swedish prosecutors have charged climate activist Greta Thunberg with disobedience to law enforcement in connection with a protest in Malm last month. Local newspaper Sydsvenskan reported Wednesday that Thunberg was detained with other activists after they stopped traffic in the oil terminal of the port in Malm on June 19. A short statement by Swedish prosecutors on Wednesday said a young woman was charged with disobedience because she "refused to comply with police orders to leave the scene during the protest. The statement didn't identify the woman, but Swedish Prosecution Authority spokeswoman Annika Collin confirmed that it was Thunberg. Sydsvenskan said the 20-year-old Swedish activist will be called to trial at the end of July. Prosecutor Charlotte Ottosen told the paper that the crime of disobedience is typically punishable with fines. Thunberg's media team didn't immediately answer a request for comment. Thunberg inspired a global youth movement demanding stronger efforts

Quran burnings have Sweden torn between free speech, respecting minorities

A Quran burning and a string of requests to approve the destruction of more holy books have left Sweden torn between its commitment to free speech and its respect for religious minorities. The clash of fundamental principles has complicated Sweden's desire to join NATO, an expansion that gained urgency after Russia's invasion of Ukraine but needs the approval of all current members. Turkiye has blocked Swedish accession since last year, citing reasons including anti-Turkish and anti-Islamic protests in Stockholm. Then, last week, an Iraqi Christian immigrant burned Islam's holy book outside a Stockholm mosque during the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, an act that the man said displayed his feelings about the Quran. The burning triggered widespread condemnation in the Islamic world. And along with similar recent protests by a far-right activist, it sparked a debate in Sweden about the limits of freedom of speech. Now, Swedish police say they have received new requests for ...

US President Biden hosting Swedish PM in a show of support for Nato bid

President Joe Biden plans to host Sweden's prime minister at the White House on Wednesday in a show of solidarity as the United States presses for the Nordic nation's entry into NATO, a week before the alliance's summit. Biden and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will review our growing security cooperation and reaffirm their view that Sweden should join NATO as soon as possible, the White House said a statement announcing the meeting. The leaders also will discuss the war in Ukraine and matters involving China. Sweden and neighbor Finland ended their longstanding policy of military nonalignment after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Both applied for NATO membership, seeking protection under the organization's security umbrella. Finland, which shares a more than 800-mile or 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, joined NATO in April. But Sweden, which has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, has seen its ascension delayed by Turkey and Hungary; NATO requires the ..

Turkey says Quran burning in Sweden raises questions about its reliability

Turkiye's foreign minister said Tuesday that Swedish authorities' failure to prevent Quran-burning protests in their country is raising security concerns and questions about Sweden's credentials for possible NATO membership. But Hakan Fidan said Turkiye would still approve Sweden's membership in the military alliance if Stockholm completes its homework and presses ahead with efforts to address Turkiye's concerns. The fact that the Swedish security system is incapable of preventing provocations and is presenting an image of a (country) that brings problems to NATO instead of more power is making us think in terms of the strategic and security aspects, Fidan said at a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart. When it comes to Sweden's membership in NATO, whether it will become a burden or a benefit has become more open to debate, he said. Sweden and Finland abandoned their decades-long neutrality and applied to join NATO last year following Russia's invasion of ...

Erdogan signals Turkey isn't ready to ratify Sweden Nato membership

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signalled on Monday that his country is not ready to ratify Sweden's membership in NATO, saying Stockholm had to work harder on the homework it needs to complete. Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Erdogan also renewed his condemnation of a Quran-burning protest that took place in Sweden last week, describing the action as a hate crime against Muslims. We have made it clear that the determined fight against terrorist organizations and Islamophobia are our red line," Erdogan said. Everyone must accept that Turkey's friendship cannot be won by supporting terrorism or by making space for terrorists. Turkey has delayed giving its final approval to Sweden's membership in the military alliance, accusing the country of being too lenient toward anti-Islamic demonstrations and groups that Ankara regards as security threats. These include militant Kurdish groups that have waged a deadly, decades-long insurgency in Turkey. The Kurdistan Workers' Party, o

Joe Biden to host Sweden's PM as Nordic nation seeks to join NATO

President Joe Biden will host Sweden's prime minister at the White House on Wednesday in a show of solidarity as the United States presses for the Nordic nation's entry into NATO, a bid stalled by objections from two members of the Western military alliance. Biden and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson plan to review our growing security cooperation and reaffirm their view that Sweden should join NATO as soon as possible, the White House said a statement Saturday. The leaders also will discuss the war in Ukraine and China. Sweden and neighbour Finland dropped their long-standing military neutrality after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and applied for NATO membership, seeking protection under the organisation's security umbrella. Finland, which shares an 832-mile (1,340 kilometre) border with Russia, joined NATO in April. Sweden, which has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, has seen its ascension delayed by Turkiye and Hungary; NATO requires the unanimous approv

Explained: Why Turkey has not yet approved Sweden's bid of joining Nato

Despite Sweden implementing new anti-terror legislation in June, Turkey still claims Sweden has not taken sufficient "concrete steps"

India ranked 67th globally on Energy Transition Index, Sweden on top: WEF

The World Economic Forum on Wednesday ranked India at the 67th place globally on its Energy Transition Index and said it is the only major economy with energy transition momentum accelerating across all dimensions. Sweden topped the list and was followed by Denmark, Norway, Finland and Switzerland in the top five on the list of 120 countries. Releasing the report published in collaboration with Accenture, the WEF said the global energy transition has plateaued amid the global energy crisis and geopolitical volatilities, but India is among the countries that have made significant improvements. "India is the only major economy with energy transition momentum accelerating across the Energy Transition Index's equitable, secure and sustainable dimensions," the WEF said. "For example, despite continued economic growth, India has successfully reduced the energy intensity of its economy and the carbon intensity of its energy mix, while achieving universal energy access and effectively ...

NATO chief makes last-ditch bid to bring Sweden into fold before summit

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that he will call an urgent meeting in the coming days to try to overcome Turkish objections to Sweden joining the military organisation. It's a last-ditch effort to have the Nordic country standing alongside the allies at a major summit next month. NATO requires the unanimous approval of all members to expand. Turkiye accuses Sweden of being too lenient toward groups that Ankara says pose a security threat, including militant Kurdish groups and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt. Stoltenberg said he has held fresh talks on Sweden's candidacy with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as senior officials from Sweden and neighbouring Finland, which became the 31st member of the world's biggest security organization in April. We agreed to convene a high-level meeting in Brussels before the summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius beginning July 11, Stoltenberg told reporters. The aim is to make progress in ...

Inflation tops expectations in Sweden. Experts say Beyonce is to blame

Data from the Swedish govt showed that the high inflation in May was primarily driven by a rise in hotel and restaurant prices in the country; experts say it was due to Beyonce's Renaissance tour

Turkey, Sweden agree to hold more talks on NATO bid ahead of summit

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year but faced objections from Turkey on the grounds that the two countries harbour members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and the Gulen movement

Spotify fined $5.4 mn for data protection regulation violations in Sweden

Music streaming platform Spotify has been fined about $5.4 million in Sweden for breaching the data access rights of users in the European Union (EU)

As interest rates climb, Sweden's central bank fears financial stability

Due to high inflation and increasing interest rates, Sweden's financial stability is strained and the risks are increasing, the country's central bank (Riksbank) said in a report

NATO presses Turkey to drop objections to Sweden's membership as meet nears

NATO on Thursday ramped up pressure on its member Turkiye to drop its objections to Sweden's membership as the military organisation seeks to deal with the issue by the time US President Joe Biden and his counterparts meet next month. Fearing that they might be targeted after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Sweden and Finland abandoned their traditional positions of military nonalignment to seek protection under NATO's security umbrella. Finland became NATO's 31st member country in April. NATO must agree unanimously for countries to join. Turkiye's government accuses Sweden of being too lenient on terrorist organisations and security threats, including militant Kurdish groups and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt. Hungary has also delayed its approval, but the reasons why have not been made publicly clear. It's time for Sweden to join now, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt told reporters in Oslo, where she was hosting a meeting with her counterparts to prepar

Belgium PM meets Indian ministers, discusses renewable energy, tech

Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo on Tuesday (local time) met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal and Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics & Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and discussed strengthening ties in renewable energy and technology."Had a productive meeting with @DrSJaishankar, @PiyushGoyal and @Rajeev_GoI, discussing ways to enhance the partnership between Belgium, the EU, and India. Focused on strengthening ties in key areas like renewable energy and technology, aiming for shared progress and prosperity," tweeted Croo.Sweden is an important trade, technology and investment partner of India in the European Union. It is also a key member of the Nordic grouping that India has been engaging in a structured format since 2018.Speaking on LeadIT initiative - The Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) aims to enable the transition of heavy industry to net ...

Jaishankar attends India Trilateral Forum as part of Sweden visit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conducted a series of high-level discussions including at the India Trilateral Forum on Monday as part of his first visit to Sweden, which currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Along with his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom, Jaishankar covered a wide range of issues during the inaugural session of the Trilateral Forum which includes India, Europe and the US. "Jointly participated in the India Trilateral Forum with FM @TobiasBillstrom in Stockholm this morning," tweeted Jaishankar. "An energetic conversation on a wide-range of contemporary issues," he said. Earlier during a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the minister said that he conveyed the personal greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Value his commitment towards strengthening the India-Sweden relationship, he said. He also tweeted after a "good discussion" with Henrik Landerholm, the National Security Advisor of Sweden, duri

EAM Jaishankar holds wide ranging discussions with Swedish counterpart

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held wide ranging discussions with his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom here and exchanged views on Indo-Pacific, European strategic situation and de-risking the global economy. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to Sweden to participate in the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum (EIPMF). "Wide ranging discussions with FM @TobiasBillstrom as India and Sweden mark 75 years of diplomatic ties. Committed to taking bilateral cooperation to a higher level. Exchanged views on Indo-Pacific, European strategic situation and de-risking the global economy, he tweeted. Jaishankar's visit to Sweden is his first as the external affairs minister. The trip comes at a time when India and Sweden are celebrating 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations. Sweden currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Jaishankar also met Sweden's Defence Minister Pal Jonson and the two leaders had "useful exchange of views on ...

Jaishankar discusses Indo-Pacific, Ukraine with 8 counterparts in Sweden

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has discussed a range of issues, including the Indo-Pacific and the Ukraine war, during his meetings here with his counterparts from France, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to Sweden to participate in the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum (EIPMF). He met his counterparts on the sidelines of the EIPMF on Saturday. Glad to meet French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. Share her enthusiasm for making PM Narendra Modi's visit to the Bastille Day a success. Exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific and G20, he tweeted. Prime Minister Modi will attend this year's Bastille Day Parade as the guest of honour on July 14. Modi was invited by French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the Parade in Paris. A contingent of the Indian armed forces will also participate in the parade along with their French counterparts, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. Jaishankar also met Austri