Iran–Sweden relations

Iran–Sweden relations are foreign relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Sweden.

Iran–Sweden relations

Iran
Sweden

Government level

In February 2017, Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven and minister of trade Ann Linde along with representatives from government agencies and companies visited Iran and met with several Iranian ministers. Linde was criticized for wearing the Islamic veil during the trip.[1]

Academic partnerships

In the late 2010s and into 2020, a number of Swedish academic universities and institutions pursue partnerships and exchange programs with institutions in Iran, also after Swedish-Iranian researcher Ahmad Reza Jalali had been given the death penalty by Iranian authorities in October 2017.[2][3] These academic institutions were:[3]

Nuclear program
Bildt and Javad Zarif, foreign minister of Iran, 2 February 2014

In 1975 Sweden's 10% share in Eurodif was transferred to Iran.[4]

The Chairman of the Swedish parliament's Foreign Policy Commission said in 2008 that Iran has a right to civilian nuclear technology. He also supported diplomatic means to find a solution to the issue that acceptable to both sides.[5] In 2007, Christofer Gyllenstierna, Swedish Ambassador to Iran, claimed that, because traders and businessmen ultimately make investment decisions in Sweden, economic sanctions will not affect Sweden's trade with Iran.[6] In February 2009, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Austria and Sweden opposed a list of additional stricter sanctions proposed by the EU3 against the Islamic Republic.[7]

In July 2009, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt insisted that dialogue is the only solution to the Iranian nuclear situation, saying that the European parliament faced difficult choices when world powers restarted talks with Tehran to halt Iranian uranium enrichment in exchange for political and economic incentives.[8]

Economic relationship

Christofer Gyllenstierna, Sweden's Ambassador to Iran, said at a symposium in Tehran in 2007 that Sweden has potential markets in Iran. He also said that Iran's capabilities and possibilities have attracted the attention of Swedish businesses. He claimed Sweden planned on increasing mutual trade cooperation with Iran.[6] In 2003, Sweden and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understand (MoU), in which Sweden recommended Iran be given membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and, in turn, Sweden would implement industrial, mining, and telecommunication projects inside Iran.[9] Since the UN Security Council and the European Union began imposing stricter sanctions, however, Swedish–Iranian bilateral trade has declined. Bilateral trade between the two reached only $500 million in 2007.[10][11] However Swedish companies such as Stockholm Chartering AB have been reported to have found innovative means to skirt EU sanctions on Iran.[12]

Sports

On 31 March 2015, the first friendly football match was played between the Swedish national team and the Iranian national team at the Friends Arena.[13]

See also

References
  1. Radio, Sveriges. "Sveriges minister får kritik för att hon hade slöja på sig i Iran - Radio Sweden på lätt svenska". sverigesradio.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  2. Radio, Sveriges. "Mälardalens högskola fortsatte samarbetet i Iran efter dödsdom - P4 Sörmland". sverigesradio.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  3. Youcefi, Fouad; Silver, Henrik; Catomeris, Christian (2020-12-15). "Svenska lärosäten på rekryteringsresa till Iran – strax efter dödsdomen mot Djalali". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-12-29.
  4. Voltaire, Paul Labarique,Réseau. "Jean-Louis Bruguière, un juge d'exception, par Paul Labarique". Voltairenet.org. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  5. “Sweden Reiterates Iran's N. Rights” Fars News Agency, 8 May 2008.
  6. “Sweden Envoy: Iran, A Good Market For Swedish Investment”, IRNA, 1 May 2007.
  7. Dinmore, Guy, Najmeh Bozorgmehr, and Alex Barker, “EU Trio Targets Tougher Iran Sanctions,” Financial Times, 25 February 2009.
  8. “Bildt: EU faces ‘difficult choices’ on Iran’ The Local, 9 July 2009.
  9. “Iran, Sweden Sign Memorandum of Understanding”, IRNA, 16 December 2003.
  10. "Links have changed please update them". Imfstatistics.org. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  11. "PressTV-'Gold rush' begins for Iran business". Presstv.com. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  12. "Watchdog Says Swedish Shipping Company Skirting Iran Sanctions". Freebeacon.com. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  13. "Internationals (Sky Sports)". SkySports.com. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
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