On 18 May 2022, Thailand and Sweden commemorated the 154th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden hosted the 3rd Thai – Swedish Political Consultation in Stockholm, Sweden. Mr. Niclas Kvarnström, Deputy Director-General and Head of the Department for Asia and the Pacific, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, and Mr. Asi Mamanee,
Director-General of the Department of European Affairs, presided as heads of the Swedish and Thai delegations. In attendance were H.E. Mrs. Kanchana Patarachoke, the Ambassador of Thailand to Sweden, and H.E. Mr. Jon Åström Gröndahl, Ambassador of Sweden to Thailand. The meeting was conducted in a constructive and friendly atmosphere and was highly productive for both sides.

Both sides shared updates of the areas of ongoing Thai – Swedish cooperation, including trade and investment, defense technology, road safety, sustainable development, development cooperation, and innovation, which is a prominent area of cooperation that the Royal Thai Embassy in Stockholm has been promoting with the establishment of the Thailand and Nordic Countries Innovation Unit (TNIU). The delegates also discussed the areas with potential for further cooperation between the two countries, such as space technology, sustainable tourism, and environmental conservation.

Additionally, both sides exchanged views on current affairs on which Thailand and Sweden share an interest, including global security, Sweden’s application to NATO, humanitarian assistance, the situation in Myanmar and the roles of Thailand and ASEAN, the Thai – EU FTA negotiations, the Thai – EU PCA negotiations, and the Stockholm +50 Conference to be held later this year.

The Thai side expressed readiness to host the 4th Thai – Swedish Political Consultation in due time.