New Swedish FM to visit Türkiye in 1st foreign trip: State TV

STOCKHOLM

Swedish state television SVT has announced that newly appointed Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard will make her first foreign trip to Türkiye on Sept. 18.

Tobias Billström’s unexpected resignation last week prompted the reshuffle, which saw several key ministers reassigned. Stenergar previously served as migration minister.

In an interview with the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency on Sept. 11, Stenergard expressed that she “looks forward to develop close cooperation” with Türkiye.

“I will continue to have a close cooperation with Türkiye not least as ally partners in NATO and I look forward to develop this cooperation,” Stenergard.

Her appointment comes amid the country’s recent shift from its traditional non-alignment stance to joining NATO, a major diplomatic achievement facilitated by Billstrom during his tenure.

In January, Türkiye ratified Sweden's NATO membership bid, clearing the biggest remaining hurdle to expand the Western military alliance after 20 months of delay.

Türkiye and Hungary were the only NATO members to oppose the northern neighbors’ applications. The former eventually ratified Finland's bid but continued to accuse Sweden of failing to crack down on terrorist organization members.

Stenergard’s appointment signals a focus on maintaining Sweden's proactive stance within NATO and continuing its unwavering support for Ukraine. Earlier this week, Sweden announced its 17th military aid package for Ukraine worth 4.6 billion Swedish krona ($443 million).

As the former head of migration, Stenergard has been central to navigating Sweden's immigration policies, a role that saw her tackling major issues such as the refugee crisis and integration.