Australia–Sweden relations
Encyclopedia
Australia–Sweden relations are foreign relations between Australia
and Sweden
. Australia has an embassy in Stockholm
. Sweden has an embassy in Canberra
as well as a Consulate-General in Sydney
. Sweden is also represented by consulates in Adelaide
, Brisbane
, Cairns, Darwin
, Hobart
, Melbourne
and Perth
.
, Australia's total exports to Sweden increased by more than 27% to approximately A$445m in 2008 while Australia's imports from Sweden increased by more than 7.5% to approximately A$2.5bn. More than 150 Swedish companies have an Australian subsidiary. Both countries also have a Double Taxation Agreement, as well as a bilateral Working Holiday Maker Arrangement.
On the friendship between Australia and Sweden, King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf said that both countries "are like-minded in many ways. It is hard to imagine two countries so far apart and geographically different. Still we have close bonds and enjoy fruitful cooperation".
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Australia has an embassy in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. Sweden has an embassy in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
as well as a Consulate-General in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Sweden is also represented by consulates in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Cairns, Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
Overview
The relationship between Australia and Sweden is strong, particularly in the areas of trade and education services. In 2007, the two way merchandise trade between both countries totalled A$2.6 billion. According to the Swedish Trade CouncilSwedish Trade Council - Exportrådet
The Swedish Trade Council was founded on 1 July 1972 to serve the Swedish Government and Swedish business, and it remains a public-private partnership despite being organised under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs...
, Australia's total exports to Sweden increased by more than 27% to approximately A$445m in 2008 while Australia's imports from Sweden increased by more than 7.5% to approximately A$2.5bn. More than 150 Swedish companies have an Australian subsidiary. Both countries also have a Double Taxation Agreement, as well as a bilateral Working Holiday Maker Arrangement.
On the friendship between Australia and Sweden, King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf said that both countries "are like-minded in many ways. It is hard to imagine two countries so far apart and geographically different. Still we have close bonds and enjoy fruitful cooperation".
See also
- Foreign relations of AustraliaForeign relations of AustraliaThe foreign relations of Australia have spanned from the country's time as Dominion and later Realm of the Commonwealth to become steadfastly allied with New Zealand through long-standing ANZAC ties dating back to the early 1900s, and the United States throughout the Cold War, to its engagement...
- Foreign relations of SwedenForeign relations of SwedenThe foreign policy of Sweden is based on the premise that national security is best served by staying free of alliances in peacetime in order to remain a neutral country in the event of war. In 2002, Sweden revised its security doctrine...
- Swedish AustralianSwedish AustralianSwedish Australians are Australians with Swedish heritage, most often related to the large groups of immigrants from Sweden in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. The 2006 census showed 30,375 who claimed Swedish ancestry...