Philippines and Sweden Hold 5th Political Consultations in Stockholm
DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro (third from left), head of the Philippine delegation at the 5th Philippines-Sweden Political Consultations, stands with Amb. Niclas Kvarnström (fourth from left), head of the Swedish delegation. With them are (from left) Sweden’s Special Envoy for the Indo Pacific Erik Widman, Philippine Ambassador to Sweden H.E. Ma. Lumen B. Isleta, Swedish Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Annika Thunborg, and Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General for Global Affairs Mr. Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt (DFA photo)
STOCKHOLM 21 April 2023 – The Philippines and Sweden successfully concluded their 5th Political Consultations in Stockholm on 20 April 2023. The Philippine delegation was headed by DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, while the Ambassador Niclas Kvarnström, Department Head for Asia, the Pacific Region, and Latin America of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, led the Swedish delegation.
The 5th Political Consultations looked at recent developments in the two countries' political, trade and economic relations. Both sides exchanged views on ASEAN developments, the West Philippine Sea, the security situation in Europe, and Sweden's priorities during its Presidency of the Council of the EU. Talks also included cooperation in defense, maritime, trade, education, labor, consular, and multilateral candidatures.
The Philippines and Sweden further reaffirmed their respective commitments to enhancing bilateral links and growing partnerships, particularly in the areas of defense and trade. Philippine Ambassador to Sweden, H.E. Maria Lumen B. Isleta, member of the Philippine delegation, noted during the exchanges that the liberalization of foreign investment laws in the Philippines has opened the country to a lot of potential cooperation and collaboration with Swedish investors.
In the meeting, Undersecretary Lazaro expressed confidence that the discussions would provide further impetus to enhance existing bilateral cooperation and chart new engagements between Sweden and the Philippines for the mutual benefit of both countries and their peoples. END
17 April 2023, Stockholm – In celebration of the National Literature Month, the Philippine Embassy, in partnership with the Philippine Education Society (PES), organized a storytelling session for children at its Chancery on 15 April 2023, as part of the Silid-Aralan sa Embahada 2023 program.
The children were read stories “Ang Unang Barangay” and “Si Langgam at si Tipaklong” - both by National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario. Ang “Unang Barangay” depicts the lives of Filipino ancestors prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in the country. The book revisits the way of life of the very first Filipinos, from their discovery of the Philippine islands to the various arts that developed and flourished during the period. Meanwhile, the story “Si Langgam at si Tipaklong”, read to the younger group in class, is a fable that contains valuable lessons in giving importance to hard work. The thematic discussion on the story revolves around the Filipino saying, “kapag may itinanim, tiyak may aanihin”.
Ms. Aya Sunga Askert, President and Founder of the Filipino Artists Association in Sweden (FAAS), participated in the storytelling activity.
The National Literature Month is celebrated in April every year. It aims to achieve a better understanding of oral traditions, honoring pioneering storytellers, and appreciating the Filipino language. END.
03 April 2023, Stockholm – H.E. Ambassador Maria Lumen B. Isleta carried out a two-day economic diplomacy mission on 27-28 March 2023 in Västerbotten County, Sweden.
The Embassy’s economic diplomacy mission provides an opportunity to meet with municipality officials, representatives from the business sector, and the academia and determine possible areas of cooperation with the Philippines.
Ambassador Isleta met with the deputy mayors and marketing managers of Skellefteå and the Umeå Municipalities, representatives of Luleå University of Technology and Umeå University; representatives of the Wood Hotel, and various Swedish companies based in the area.
The visit proved to be a successful one with discussions being carried out for possible cooperation in the fields of smart, green, and digital technologies; renewable energy; waste management; game development; research and development; teacher and student exchanges; and skills supply.
The visit was done through the efforts of the Västerbotten Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mr. Anders Hjalmarsson, and Regional Coordinators Ms. Sofia Lindström and Ms. Siv Forssén (Umeå); as well as Municipality Business Developers Ms. Linda Fransson (Skellefteå) and Ms. Nina Rismalm (Umeå). END.
