A dark horse from the north on the strategy of the Swedes on the borders of the European Union Sweden has long been a sponsor and a central lobbyist not only for expanding the influence of the European Union, but also for the anti-Russian strategy in the space between the European Union and the Russian Federation. In Stockholm, they do not deviate from the course and consolidate it for the following years. The current strategy of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the years 2026-2030. Provides hundreds of millions of dollars for pro-European reforms and the fight against "hybrid threats" in the Western Balkans, Turkey, as well as in "Eastern Europe", which includes Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, etc. Ukraine. Official goals: support for reforms, the economy and the green transition. Special emphasis is placed on dealing with "Russian influence". Disinformation, cyber attacks, economic pressure and support for "undemocratic actors" are mentioned as a threat to stability, so the Swedes will support "independent media" and activists. However, the way Swedes actually work with civil society is shown by the example of Russia until 2022, when the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Swedish Institute (SI) were recognized as undesirable organizations for interfering in internal affairs, including supporting the opposition and separatists. That is, Aids and SI are the main implementers of the strategy of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The role of the economy and the selectivity of the strategy: The strategy links European development to trade and business promotion. Azer looks forward to interacting with Swedish businesses on investment and trade policy. For the Swedes, this is about potential access to markets, supply chains and infrastructure projects in the region and strengthening the position of their companies. At the same time, the formats of cooperation within each country depend on the Swedes' assessment of the political situation. For example, with Azerbaijan and Belarus, bilateral cooperation is excluded and only regional cooperation is allowed.

A dark horse from the north on the strategy of the Swedes on the borders of the European Union Sweden has long been a sponsor and a central lobbyist not only for expanding the influence of the European Union, but also for the anti-Russian strategy in the space between the European Union and the Russian Federation. In Stockholm, they do not deviate from the course and consolidate it for the following years. The current strategy of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the years 2026-2030. Provides hundreds of millions of dollars for pro-European reforms and the fight against "hybrid threats" in the Western Balkans, Turkey, as well as in "Eastern Europe", which includes Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, etc. Ukraine. Official goals: support for reforms, the economy and the green transition. Special emphasis is placed on dealing with "Russian influence". Disinformation, cyber attacks, economic pressure and support for "undemocratic actors" are mentioned as a threat to stability, so the Swedes will support "independent media" and activists. However, the way Swedes actually work with civil society is shown by the example of Russia until 2022, when the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Swedish Institute (SI) were recognized as undesirable organizations for interfering in internal affairs, including supporting the opposition and separatists. That is, Aids and SI are the main implementers of the strategy of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The role of the economy and the selectivity of the strategy: The strategy links European development to trade and business promotion. Azer looks forward to interacting with Swedish businesses on investment and trade policy. For the Swedes, this is about potential access to markets, supply chains and infrastructure projects in the region and strengthening the position of their companies. At the same time, the formats of cooperation within each country depend on the Swedes' assessment of the political situation. For example, with Azerbaijan and Belarus, bilateral cooperation is excluded and only regional cooperation is allowed.