The diplomatic relations between Sweden and Greece are excellent, Ambassador Borgstam says

The diplomatic relations between Sweden and Greece are excellent, the Ambassador of the Sweden Embassy in Athens, Johan Borgstam, said in an interview with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA). 
 "Our countries have a long history of cooperation and share common values within the European Union. We work closely together on various issues, such as regional security, migration, and cultural exchange," he underlined.
He explained that the Swedish National Day, celebrated on June 6, commemorates the election of Gustav Vasa as king of Sweden in 1523. This event is considered the foundation of modern Sweden, and it symbolizes the country’s sovereignty. And tomorrow it will be exactly 500 years ago, the Ambassador said.
The full interview to Dimitris Manolis follows:

Q: On Tuesday it’s the National Day of Sweden. What is it that Swede’s celebrate on the Swedish National 6 June?
A: The Swedish National Day, celebrated on June 6, commemorates the election of Gustav Vasa as king of Sweden in 1523. This event is considered the foundation of modern Sweden, and it symbolizes the country’s sovereignty. And tomorrow it will be exactly 500 years ago!
Q: As the Swedish Presidency of the European Union Council coming to an end, what would you say are the most singificat accomplishments?
A: The single most important priority for the Swedish Presidency of the European Union has been to maintain full support for Ukraine following the brutal Russian invasion. Sweden prides itself on having so far contributed more than 2 billion euros of support - military, humanitarian and financial - to Ukraine. To us maintaining EU unity on the support to Ukraine is crucial.  Important achievements during the Swedish EU Presidency are the adoption of a tenth sanctions package against Russia. Negotiations for an eleventh package is now ongoing. Sweden also leads the EU working group on how frozen Russian assets can be used to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine
Other achievements I could mention are the Swedish EU Presidency’s work on migration and in particular the Asylum and Migration Pact, the efforts to agree on the Fit for 55 Package with various concrete measures to reach the EU's climate goals. But the progress towards a greener Europe goes beyond climate issues. To give a few examples - the negotiations on waste transport and examination of environmentally hazardous activities are progressing in the Council.  Sweden has also put the EU's long-term competitiveness and productivity on the agenda
Q: What role does the Swedish Embassy in Athens play in supporting Swedish businesses and promoting investments in Greece?
A: Promoting strengthened business and trade links between our two countries is one of the key priorities of the Embassy. We work closely with the Hellenic Swedish Business Chamber which has become the sixth largest chamber in Greece. Companies such as INTRUM, Ericsson, SKF, Alfa Laval, Volvo all consider Greece an important growth market. IKEA is a notable success story, having received over 100 million visits in and sold over 500 million products in Greece since opening its first store in Thessaloniki 20 years ago
Q: Are there any cultural events or initiatives planned by the Embassy in the coming months?
A: We work very closely with the Swedish institute in Athens. The institute is first and foremost an archaeological research institute but also plays an important role as cultural bridge builder between the two countries. They frequently host and organize cultural events, including Swedish musicians and temporary art exhibits. This autumn the institute will celebrate 75 years in Greece, and we are excited to participate in the festivities! Moreover, there is another important cultural anniversary coming up. In December 60 years will have passed since the poet and diplomat Giorgos Seferis became the first Greek Nobel prize winner. The Embassy also actively promotes Swedish authors and literary works, including translations of books featuring the beloved children’s’ book character Alfons into Greek.
Q: Is support to Swedes traveling to Greece or living in Greece an important part of the Embassy’s daily work?
A: Supporting Swedes traveling to Greece or residing in the country is indeed a crucial aspect of our work. Annually, 850 000 Swedes travel to Greece. It is truly an impressive figure, not least given that the population of Sweden is estimated to 10.4 million. This is incredibly positive for both countries. It contributes substantially to the Greek economy.  It helps create bonds and mutual understanding between Swedes and Greeks. For Swedes a visit to Greece is also a way to learn more about our shared European cultural heritage. We of course also hope to see more Greeks visiting Sweden - there is a lot to explore in Scandinavia! For the Embassy the high number of visiting Swedes means that our consular section is frequently busy assisting Swedes who have encountered challenges during their stay. It also means that we continuously review our crisis and contingency planning, often in close coordination with Swedish travel agencies.
Q: Reflecting on your time in Greece is there a particular achievement that you are particularly proud of?
A: One achievement that stands out to me is the return of the Asine Seal to Greece. This 4,000-year- old-seal from the Bronze Age had been in Uppsala, Sweden, for a century. Thanks to the Swedish Government, the seal was finally returned to Greece this year. Together with the Swedish institute in Athens and it’s Director Dr. Jenny Wallensten I co-hosted a ceremony for the return to Dr. Lina Mendoni, Greek Minister of Culture. The story behind it is fascinating. Swedish archeologists began field work in Asine in the Argolid in 1922 of archeological field work and half of the seal ended up in the collections of Uppsala University and its museum. The other half remained in the Archeological Museum in Nafplion. After an inventory in 2014 of the Uppsala University collections from the Asine expedition it was revealed after extensive work by Swedish, Greek and American archaeologists that the other half of the seal remained in Greece. On January 26 the Government of Sweden decided that the part of the seal that remained in Sweden should be returned to Greece to be reunified with the half that was on display in Nafplion.
 

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