Political relations between Switzerland and Sweden are excellent and entirely problem-free. The two countries share a broad consensus on political issues, interact extensively on science, research and innovation, and have close economic ties.
Bilateral relations Switzerland-Sweden
Key aspects of diplomatic relations
Switzerland and Sweden enjoy very good diplomatic relations and engage in frequent bilateral discussions. The foreign policy objectives of both countries are aligned, particularly in the areas of human rights, peacekeeping, development cooperation and climate protection. In this context of diplomatic relations, cooperation in multilateral bodies is of particular importance.
Economic cooperation
Sweden is Switzerland's biggest trading and investment partner among the Nordic countries. In 2023, the annual volume of trade approximated CHF 3.2 billion, with CHF 1.8 billion in goods exported to Sweden and CHF 1.4 billion imported by Switzerland. In addition to trade in goods, trade in services also plays a significant role. Swiss companies based in Sweden operate in a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, logistics and transport, and ICT. Both countries are major investors in each other's economies. Sweden is Switzerland's 13th largest investor while Switzerland is Sweden's 9th largest investor.
Country information, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
Cooperation in education, research and innovation
Researchers from both countries cooperate closely on EU programmes and the Swiss-Swedish Innovation Initiative (SWII). Since 2013, some 60 SWII projects have been implemented, tackling issues as diverse as lightweight materials, health, biotechnology and electronics. Switzerland is also a founding member of the European Spallation Source (ESS), which is a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) based in Lund, Sweden.
Peacekeeping
Switzerland and Sweden participate in the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) in Korea, which is tasked with monitoring the armistice agreement signed in 1953. Swedish and Swiss military personnel are stationed in Panmunjeom at the Military Demarcation Line in the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea.
Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Korea, Swiss Armed Forces (de, fr)
Cultural exchanges
Cooperation between the two countries includes initiatives to promote Swiss culture and the Swiss national languages in Sweden (literature, film, music). The annual Gothenburg Book Fair, Francophonie Week and Italian Language Week are important dates in the bilateral cultural calendar. Pro Helvetia also provides support for Swiss cultural projects in Sweden on a regular basis.
Swiss nationals in Sweden
At the end of 2024 there were 6,803 Swiss nationals living in Sweden.
History of bilateral relations
The Thirty Years' War (1618–48) involved extensive contact between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the Kingdom of Sweden, which was involved in the war, culminating in Sweden's ten-year occupation of the Fricktal region.
In 1815, Sweden signed the Final Act of the Congress of Vienna, recognising Switzerland's permanent neutrality.
Switzerland dispatched its first consular representative to Oslo in 1847. Until the first Swiss consulate was established in Stockholm in 1887, the Swiss consul residing in Oslo was also responsible for Sweden. From 1867, Sweden maintained a consulate in Geneva, establishing a permanent diplomatic mission in 1915. Switzerland opened a legation in Stockholm in 1919.
King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden made a state visit to Switzerland in 1985. In 2021, President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin visited Sweden and met King Carl XVI Gustav in Stockholm.
