Iran–Sweden relations

Iran–Sweden relations

Iran
Sweden

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

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.[1]

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.[2] 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.[3] In February 2009, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Austria and Sweden opposed a list of additional stricter sanctions proposed by the EU3 against the Islamic Republic.[4]

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.[5]

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.[7] 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.[8][9] However Swedish companies such as Stockholm Chartering AB have been reported to have found innovative means to skirt EU sanctions on Iran.[10]

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.[11]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.voltairenet.org/article13591.html
  2. ↑ “Sweden Reiterates Iran's N. Rights” Fars News Agency, 8 May 2008.
  3. ↑ “Sweden Envoy: Iran, A Good Market For Swedish Investment”, IRNA, 1 May 2007.
  4. ↑ Dinmore, Guy, Najmeh Bozorgmehr, and Alex Barker, “EU Trio Targets Tougher Iran Sanctions,” Financial Times, 25 February 2009.
  5. ↑ “Bildt: EU faces ‘difficult choices’ on Iran’ The Local, 9 July 2009.
  6. ↑ “Sweden Envoy: Iran, A Good Market For Swedish Investment”, IRNA, 1 May 2007.
  7. ↑ “Iran, Sweden Sign Memorandum of Understanding”, IRNA, 16 December 2003.
  8. ↑ International Monetary Fund, Department of Trade Statistics, www.imfstatistics.org/dots (13 November 2008).
  9. ↑ http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2015/07/20/421042/iran-sweden-germany-europe-companies-
  10. ↑ "Watchdog Says Swedish Shipping Company Skirting Iran Sanctions."
  11. ↑ http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/329231/teams
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