Holiday interview with the new Ambassador of Sweden
Q1: Some of our NBA members already had a chance to meet you and hear you speak. On behalf of all of our members, we wish you warmly welcome to Serbia and would like to use this opportunity to introduce you to our NBA community. Please share with our members a little bit about yourself.
Answer:
I arrived in September and it has been an intense and exciting period of time. As Ambassador, you have the chance to get to know a country, its people and customs. I have had a very enjoyable start and look forward to learning more about Serbia; its history, culture and nature.
Some people may think that the mentality of people in the North of Europe differ very much from the one of peoples in the South of Europe. That may be so on a general level, but when you talk to a person on a one-to-one basis, we are very similar. People living in Serbia are very friendly, generous and hospitable and I am really enjoying myself. I feel welcome in Serbia wherever I go.
I’m pleased to learn that there is a growing number of Swedish companies of all sizes and industry sectors in here, employing several thousand workers. I’ve recently had the opportunity to meet some of the Swedish business community representatives that have manufacturing facilities and provide services in the country. I look forward to promoting Swedish business interests in Serbia working hand-in-hand with the embassy’s Development Cooperation Section which formulate and implement projects in Serbia that are relevant to improving the business climate in the country, as well as Business Sweden who support Swedish companies interested in investing in Serbia. I believe the NBA has an important role in further improving of the business climate in Serbia as well as facilitation of business links between Sweden and the Nordics on one end and Serbia on the other end.
Q2: The year behind us was marked with an important topic of circular economy and environment in general, both for NBA members and Serbia as a whole. The Embassy of Sweden played a substantial role in this period and made visible contributions for moving green agenda forward. We all know that there is a lot of hard work ahead of us, but at the end of the year let’s celebrate small sucesses.... can you please share with us where you think Serbia made some small steps forward to be "greener"?
Answer:
Thanks to the support of the Nordic Council of Ministers, we partnered with other Nordic embassies as well as the NBA on a project themed Boosting circular economy in Serbia – Nordic experience. A series of events around Serbia in 2021 highlighted the fact that solving environmental problems also requires strengthening the institutional capacity of the state, as well as large public investments in communal infrastructure and strategies and systemic solutions for better waste management.
In Serbia, Sweden is the leading donor in environmental and climate assistance, and a strong voice implementation of the EU's environment and climate chapter, Chapter 27. This is done through a broad portfolio of initiatives that includes cooperation with the government, municipalities, education, civil society and companies.
Coming back to the circular economy project; in Niš we highlighted one of the most recent examples of Swedish development cooperation where EUR 1.3m has been invested for the preparation of technical and project documentation for the construction of a future wastewater treatment plant there. At the end of November, we signed an agreement with the Serbian Ministry of Environment worth EUR 1.7m to strengthen the cooperation on combatting industrial emissions, through the implementation of the Industrial Emissions Directive in Serbia. This is a third phase of our cooperation providing continued support in the field of environmental protection.
From the Swedish Embassy´s side we look forward to deepening the cooperation with our Nordic and Serbian partners boosting circular economy and the green transition of the economy. We also believe that our joint work through development cooperation and trade promotion can be strengthened through the Nordic platform benefiting the development in Serbia. We hope that the Swedish-Nordic-Serbian cooperation could take the next step in really focusing on companies that want to lead the change on green transition – by showcasing Swedish (Nordic) examples and Serbian pioneers.
Q3: With holiday spirit in the air, we wrap up another challenging year and are ready to enjoy and celebrate our achievements with our loved ones. What are your family traditions for spending holiday season?
Answer:
I hope that the snow will stay at least for a few more weeks during the holiday season. My family will be visiting me in Belgrade and I look forward to showing them the city during Christmas and New Year’s. Last year was very exciting for me as I concluded my work as Ambassador for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and began my mandate as Ambassador of Sweden to Serbia and to Montenegro. I believe that the years to come will be very exciting. Sweden is one of the strongest supporters of Serbia on its EU path. A lot of work is ahead of us and I look forward to work with Serbian ministries, authorities and civil society to reach their set goals.
Therefore, I will take the opportunity to get to know Belgrade even more during the holiday period. I have heard that it is exciting to spend the New Year’s Eve on the streets of Belgrade as there are some concerts are being announced. I believe that my children will appreciate that very much.
I would like to wish the readers of this newsletter a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year hoping that his pandemic will soon come to an end.