Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives

24 August 2017

Swedish Speaker’s visit to New Zealand focused on defence and disaster response

Mr Urban Ahlin, the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag), will be visiting New Zealand from 27 August to 1 September.

Mr Ahlin will be accompanied by members from three parties in the Swedish Parliament, all of whom have parliamentary foreign and defence and security responsibilities.

New Zealand’s Speaker, Rt Hon David Carter, is pleased to host this visit.

“Mr Ahlin’s visit is the first high level visit from Sweden to New Zealand in recent years. Mr Ahlin has a background in foreign affairs and this visit will enable us to exchange views on a wide range of issues affecting Sweden and New Zealand.”

Sweden is a current member of the UN Security Council and a member of the EU.

Mr Ahlin is a long-serving Member of the Riksdag who was elected Speaker in 2014. He has worked in the foreign policy field for more than twenty years.

The Swedish delegation’s visit will include meetings with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Defence and Civil Defence, Emergency Management, and the New Zealand Defence Force. They will also visit Antarctica New Zealand and Victoria University’s Centre for Strategic Studies.

ENDS

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