The Swedish government has officially announced the appointment of Jessica Sverdström as its new ambassador to the Syrian capital Damascus.
The government said in a statement on Thursday that the new ambassador will start her work during the month of August
From the files of "NATO" and Beirut to Damascus
The new ambassador, Jessica Sverdström, has a rich diplomatic and security background, currently serving as Sweden's ambassador to Beirut and previously serving as interim commissioner of the Swedish embassy in Syria.
Sverdström also has a proven track record of working in conflict zones and sensitive files, serving as her country's ambassador in Baghdad and Bamako, serving at Sweden's NATO mission in Brussels, her previous service in Kabul, and serving as deputy head of the European Security Policy Unit at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Back after 14 years: Closing the page on the security "suspension"
With this move, Sweden ends a long period of suspension of its direct diplomatic activities inside Syrian territory.
The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs had scaled back its operations and withdrew its mission from Damascus on March 29, 2012, as a result of the deteriorating security situation at the time, to manage Syria-related activities over the past years through the Swedish embassy in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, accompanied by periodic field visits.
Reciprocal visits
The positive indications between the two countries were not limited to diplomatic appointments, but were preceded by mutual visits and practical understandings, where Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Al-Shaibani met with the Director General of International Affairs at the Swedish Foreign Ministry, Michael Lindval, who affirmed Stockholm's seriousness in resuming full diplomatic work once the logistical and technical conditions are met.
In the same context, the Swedish Ministry of Justice revealed arrangements to receive a Syrian technical delegation in Stockholm to discuss mechanisms for joint cooperation in the fields of migration and return.
The visit comes within the framework of a preliminary study funded by the Swedish government worth 3 million kronor, which aims to lay solid foundations for bilateral coordination between the two sides.