Ambassador of Sweden to Finland | |
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Ministry for Foreign Affairs Swedish Embassy, Helsinki | |
Style | His or Her Excellency (formal) Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal) |
Reports to | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
Residence | Pohjoisesplanadi 7 B [a] |
Seat | Helsinki, Finland |
Appointer | Government of Sweden |
Term length | No fixed term |
Inaugural holder | Walter Ahlström |
Formation | January 1918 |
Website | Swedish Embassy, Helsinki |
The Ambassador of Sweden to Finland (known formally as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of Finland) is the official representative of the government of Sweden to the president of Finland and government of Finland.
Finland declared itself an independent state on 6 December 1917. On 4 January 1918, the King, with the unanimous support of the government ministers, decided in council to recognize Finland as an independent and sovereign state. [2] A few days later, the consul general in Helsinki, Walter Ahlström , was appointed to temporarily represent Sweden in Finland in the capacity of chargé d'affaires. Ahlström immediately assumed his duties as chargé d'affaires, while at the same time continuing to hold his position as consul general. [3]
Sweden's first minister in Finland was Gustaf Westman , who was appointed by the King in Council on 17 March 1918 as a minister en mission spéciale to the Finnish government in Vaasa. [4] In April of the same year, Westman presented his credentials to the Chairman of the Senate of Finland Pehr Evind Svinhufvud. [5]
In September 1954, an agreement was reached between the Swedish and Finish governments on the mutual elevation of the respective countries' legations to embassies. The diplomatic rank was thereafter changed to ambassador instead of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary. [6]
Name | Period | Title | Notes | Presented credentials | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Walter Ahlström | January 1918 – 1918 | Chargé d'affaires | [7] | ||
Gustaf Westman | 17 March 1918 – 1918 | Minister en mission spéciale | To the Vaasa Senate. | 10 April 1918 to Chairman of the Senate of Finland Pehr Evind Svinhufvud. | [4] [8] [9] |
Gustaf Westman | 1918–1921 | Envoy | [8] | ||
Carl Leijonhufvud | 1919–1919 | Chargé d'affaires ad interim | During different times of the year 1919. | [10] | |
Claes Vilhelm Benjamin Grill Tersmeden | 31 March 1920 – 28 April 1920 | Chargé d'affaires ad interim | [11] | ||
Claes Vilhelm Benjamin Grill Tersmeden | 17 June 1920 – 22 November 1920 | Chargé d'affaires ad interim | [11] | ||
Johan Hultman | 1920–1921 | Chargé d'affaires | [12] | ||
Gustaf Henning Elmquist | 16 December 1921 – 26 September 1925 | Envoy | 9 January 1922 to President Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg. | [13] [14] | |
Carl Hamilton | 26 September 1925 – 1931 | Envoy | [15] | ||
Carl von Heidenstam | 27 August 1931 – 11 March 1939 | Envoy | Died in office. | [16] | |
Stig Sahlin | March 1939 – March 1941 | Envoy | [17] | ||
Karl Ivan Westman | 1941–1942 | Envoy | [18] | ||
Hans Beck-Friis | 1942–1947 | Envoy | [19] | ||
Otto Johansson | 1947–1951 | Envoy | [20] | ||
Gösta Engzell | 1951–1954 | Envoy | [21] | ||
Gösta Engzell | 1954–1963 | Ambassador | [21] | ||
Ingemar Hägglöf | 1964–1971 | Ambassador | [22] | ||
Göran Ryding | 1971–1975 | Ambassador | [23] | ||
Sten Sundfeldt | 1975–1980 | Ambassador | 29 August 1975 to President Urho Kekkonen. | [24] [25] | |
Kaj Sundberg | 1980–1984 | Ambassador | [26] | ||
Knut Thyberg | 1984–1992 | Ambassador | [27] | ||
Mats Bergquist | 1992–1997 | Ambassador | [28] | ||
Kerstin Asp Johnsson | 1997–2001 | Ambassador | [29] | ||
Ulf Hjertonsson | 2001–2005 | Ambassador | [30] | ||
Eva Walder Brundin | March 2006 – March 2009 | Ambassador | [31] | ||
Johan Molander | 2009 – 20 December 2011 | Ambassador | [32] | ||
Örjan Berner | 2 January 2012 – 2012 | Acting chief | [32] | ||
Anders Lidén | 2012–2016 | Ambassador | [33] | ||
Anders Ahnlid | November 2016 – 2020 | Ambassador | 1 December 2016 to President Sauli Niinistö. | [34] [35] | |
Nicola Clase | October 2020 – 2024 | Ambassador | 22 October 2020 to President Sauli Niinistö. | [36] [37] | |
Peter Ericson | 2024–present | Ambassador | 3 September 2024 to President Alexander Stubb. | [38] [39] |