List of ambassadors of Sweden to Belarus

Last updated

Ambassador of
Sweden to Belarus
Coat of arms of Sweden.svg
Incumbent
Hannes Tordengren
as Chargé d'affaires ad interim
since January 2024
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Swedish Embassy, Minsk
Style His or Her Excellency (formal)
Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal)
Reports to Minister for Foreign Affairs
Seat Minsk, Belarus
Appointer Government of Sweden
Term length No fixed term
Inaugural holder Örjan Berner
Formation1992
Website Swedish Embassy, Minsk

The Ambassador of Sweden to Belarus (known formally as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of Belarus) is the official representative of the government of Sweden to the president of Belarus and government of Belarus.

Contents

History

On 19 December 1991, the Swedish government recognized the Republic of Belarus. [1] On 9 January 1992, the Swedish government decided to enter into an agreement with Belarus to establish diplomatic relations. The agreement entered into force on 14 January 1992, upon its signing in Minsk by Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Margaretha af Ugglas on behalf of Sweden, and Belarus' Minister for Foreign Affairs Piatro Kravchanka on behalf of Belarus. [2] That same year, Sweden's ambassador in Moscow, Örjan Berner, was also accredited as ambassador to Belarus. [3]

In 2000, Sweden opened an honorary consulate in Minsk. In November 2003, Sweden expanded its presence by opening an embassy office, which was part of the Embassy of Sweden in Moscow. The embassy office was operated by a single Swedish diplomat. In December 2007, the Swedish government decided to elevate the embassy office to a full embassy, a transition that was officially completed in 2008. The Embassy was temporarily closed from August 2012 to July 2013 and reopened in 2014. [4]

List of representatives

NamePeriodTitleNotesRef
Örjan Berner 1992–1994AmbassadorResident in Moscow. [3]
Sven Hirdman 1994–2004AmbassadorResident in Moscow. [5]
Johan Molander2004–2008AmbassadorResident in Moscow. [6]
Stefan Eriksson 2008 – 3 August 2012AmbassadorDeclared persona non grata . [a] [8] [7]
Embassy was closed between August 2012 and July 2013 [4]
Martin ÅbergJuly 2013 – April 2015Chargé d'affaires ad interim [9] [10]
Martin ÅbergApril 2015 – 2017Ambassador [10]
Christina Johannesson1 September 2017 – 2022Ambassador [11]
Eva SundquistSeptember 2022 – January 2024Chargé d'affaires [12] [13]
Hannes TordengrenJanuary 2024 – presentChargé d'affaires ad interim [14] [15]

Footnotes

  1. The announcement that Stefan Eriksson was declared persona non grata came a month after the Teddybear Airdrop Minsk incident, during which the Swedish PR agency Studio Total dropped teddy bears carrying regime-critical messages over Belarus. However, this was reportedly "not at all" mentioned in connection with the decision to expel the ambassador, according to Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt. [7]

References

  1. Hygstedt, Björn (20 December 1991). "Sverige erkänner tre stater" [Sweden recognizes three states]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 8. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  2. Sveriges internationella överenskommelser: SÖ 1992:51 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Utrikesdepartementet. 1992. pp. 1–2. ISSN   0284-1967. SELIBR   4110996.
  3. 1 2 Almqvist, Gerd, ed. (1994). Sveriges statskalender 1994 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Fritzes. pp. 189, 196. ISBN   9138129485. SELIBR   3682773.
  4. 1 2 "About us". Embassy of Sweden, Minsk. 30 September 2024. Archived from the original on 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  5. Spiegelberg, Christina, ed. (2004). Sveriges statskalender 2004 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Fritzes. pp. 185, 192. ISBN   91-38-32120-3. SELIBR   89506762.
  6. Henriksson, Maria, ed. (2008). Sveriges statskalender 2008 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedts Juridik AB/Fritzes. pp. 194, 202. ISBN   978-91-38-32405-9. SELIBR   10900526.
  7. 1 2 Roström Andersson, Sofia (3 August 2012). "Vitryssland utvisar ambassadör" [Belarus expels ambassador]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). TT. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  8. Sveriges statskalender 2010 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedts Juridik AB/Fritzes. 2010. p. 202. ISBN   978-91-38-32520-9. SELIBR   11846164.
  9. "Swedish chargé d'affaires a.i. arrives in Minsk". Charter 97. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  10. 1 2 "Ny ambassadör i Vitryssland" [New ambassador to Belarus] (Press release) (in Swedish). Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  11. "Ny ambassadör i Vitryssland" [New ambassador to Belarus] (Press release) (in Swedish). Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  12. "Eva Sundquist ny chargé d'affaires i Belarus" [Eva Sundquist new chargé d'affaires in Belarus] (Press release) (in Swedish). Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  13. "Minsk recalls ambassador to Sweden – reports". Pozirk. 5 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  14. "DIPLOMATIC HANDBOOK" (PDF) (in Belarusian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs. November 2024. p. 23. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  15. "Hannes Tordengren". LinkedIn . Retrieved 15 January 2025.