Iraq–Sweden relations

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Iraq–Sweden relations
Map indicating locations of Iraq and Sweden

Iraq
Sweden

Iraq–Sweden relations are foreign relations between Iraq and Sweden. Iraq maintains an embassy in Stockholm, while Sweden reopened its embassy in Baghdad in 2009.[1] In July 2023, Iraq severed all diplomatic relations with Sweden after the 2023 Quran burnings in Sweden.[2][3]

Sweden is one of the largest donors to the protection force for UN personnel in Iraq, that was established in 2004. There are around 200,000 Iraqis living in Sweden, making them the second largest minority group living there.

History

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Early relations

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In 1903, Sweden began diplomatic relations with the then Ottoman Empire and a Swedish consulate was established.[4]

In November 1934, the Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Crown Princess Margaret, Princess Ingrid and Prince Bertil visited Iraq. On 1 November they arrived in Baghdad. King Ghazi of Iraq met at his country house Kasr-el-Zuhoor, from where he accompanied his guests to Bilatt Castle, where they were invited to take up residence. At all the official events that followed, except for King Ghazi, his uncle and father-in-law, King Ali of Hejaz, the President of the Council and members of the Cabinet, the President of the Senate and others. On 6 November, the royals left by train for Khanaqin for further transport to Tehran. On 25 November the return trip to Baghdad began over the snowy passes along the Kum-Sultanabad-Kermanshah road. After a week-long unofficial stay in Baghdad with visits to modern factories and excursions to Ur and Babylon, the Crown Prince and Princess Ingrid left for Damascus on 5 December.[5]

Embassy opening

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In February 1960, Sweden opened an embassy office in Baghdad.[6] The embassy office became an independent embassy in 1964 when Sweden's first resident ambassador to Baghdad was appointed.[7]

Invasion of Kuwait and hostage crisis

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On 2 August 1990, Iraq invaded its neighboring country, Kuwait. On 9 August, the Swedish embassy in Kuwait City received a direct order from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to close the embassy before 24 August. The letter stated that all diplomatic missions no longer had any official obligations to carry out in Kuwait. Instead, all diplomatic activities were to be moved to Baghdad. The Swedish government did not comply with Iraq’s request. Iraq’s chargé d’affaires in Stockholm was summoned to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where a note of protest was handed over.[8]

On 24 August, Iraqi occupation forces in Kuwait City were stationed outside at least six embassies, including Sweden’s.[9] Sweden did not accept Iraq’s invasion, and Ambassador Ingolf Kiesow [sv] and Embassy Secretary Lars-Erik Paulsson remained in place, keeping the embassy open. They were forced to leave Kuwait on 8 September and taken to Baghdad. At that time, 78 Swedes were being held hostage in Baghdad.[10]

In early November 1990, 64 Swedes were still being held hostage in Baghdad, including Ambassador Kiesow and Embassy Secretary Paulsson.[11] On 30 November 1990, Iraq released 53 of the 56 hostages, who arrived in Stockholm the same day.[12] The remaining two were released and flown home to Sweden on 7 December.[13]

2023 Quran burnings and attacks on Swedish embassy

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On 29 June 2023, a group of protestors breached the Swedish embassy's perimeter. Protestors had taken to the streets on the orders of Muqtada al-Sadr. The previous day, a Quran had been burned during a protest in Stockholm.[14]

On 20 July 2023 around 02:00 Arabia Standard Time (23:00 UTC, 19 July), the Swedish embassy was stormed by hundreds of protestors after police in Stockholm granted a permit for a demonstration there that is expected to feature another burning of a Quran. Fire and black smoke was seen coming from the embassy building. By dawn, Iraqi security forces and firefighters were inside the building. Iraq's foreign ministry issued a statement saying that they condemned the incident and that security forces had been instructed to investigate the incident swiftly. Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström stated that the embassy's staff was safe, though he also said that Iraq had failed in its responsibility under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to protect the embassy.[15][16] The convention's article 22 states in part that the host country "is under a special duty to [...] protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage".[17] The attack on the embassy was also condemned by the United States, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, with the U.S. calling Iraq's failure to protect the embassy "unacceptable".[18]

On the same day, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani prompted by "repeated incidents of desecration of the sacred Qur'an" and "insults to Islamic shrines and the burning of the Iraqi flag"[19] ordered the withdrawal of the Iraqi charge d’affaires in Stockholm and expelled the Swedish ambassador to Iraq[20] effectively severing diplomatic ties with Sweden but the Iraqi embassy in Sweden continues to operate.

Trade

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Sweden has for many years had established trade relations with Iraq. During the 1980s, several large Swedish companies were present in Iraq. Many Swedish companies have hence good knowledge about the Iraqi market, and have a good reputation in the area.[21]

The Swedish export to Iraq has during the last years mainly contained engineering products. The export to Iraq was almost SEK 444 million in 2008, of which SEK 384 million were engineering products. The Swedish import from Iraq has increased from low levels of earlier years and was about SEK 9 million in 2008.[22]

Iraqi refugees

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Since 2003, 36,700 Iraqis have applied for asylum in Sweden. The peak year was 2007 with 18,600 applications. About 50 per cent of all asylum applications from Iraqis to European countries in 2006 and 2007 were made in Sweden. Since 2003, about 38,000 Iraqis have been granted a residence permit in Sweden; more than 20,000 of these were granted after an application for asylum, more than 15,000 for the purpose of family reunion and over 1,000 for resettlement.

Resident diplomatic missions

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  • Embassy of Iraq in Stockholm
    Embassy of Iraq in Stockholm

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Officiell invigning av ambassaden" [Official opening of the Embassy] (in Swedish). Embassy of Sweden, Baghdad. 24 February 2010. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  2. ^ Iraq asks Sweden's ambassador to leave Baghdad | CNN, 2023-07-20, retrieved 2023-07-20
  3. ^ "Iraq severs diplomatic ties with Sweden over anti-Quran demonstration as protesters storm Baghdad embassy | Fox News". www.foxnews.com. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  4. ^ "Irak" [Iraq] (in Swedish). Government Offices of Sweden. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  5. ^ Kjellberg, H.E., ed. (1934). Svenska Dagbladets årsbok (Händelserna 1934) [Svenska Dagbladet's yearbook (Events of 1934)] (in Swedish). Vol. 12. Stockholm: Svenska Dagbladet. pp. 74, 76. SELIBR 283647.
  6. ^ "Ambassadör i Bagdad" [Ambassador in Baghdad]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 1960-02-23. p. 12A. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  7. ^ "UD-utnämningar i konseljen" [Cabinet appointments at the council]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 1964-05-30. p. 6A. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  8. ^ Olofson, Sune (1990-08-11). "Regeringen vägrar flytta ambassaden". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 6. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  9. ^ "Irak omringar ambassader". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Nicosia. AP. 1990-08-25. p. 4. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  10. ^ Andersson, Roger (1990-11-05). "Diplomaten som blev gisslan" [The diplomat who became a hostage]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 9. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Fria svenskar landar i Amman" [Free Swedes land in Amman]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 1990-11-08. p. 6. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  12. ^ Porne, Lars; Danielsson, Anders (1990-12-01). "Äntligen på svenska mark" [Finally on Swedish soil]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 6. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Saddam Hussein släpper hela gisslan" [Saddam Hussein releases all hostages]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Baghdad. TT-Reuter. 1990-12-07. p. 4. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  14. ^ Salem, Mostafa (2023-06-29). "Protestors break into Swedish embassy in Baghdad after Stockholm Quran burning". CNN. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  15. ^ Azhari, Timour; Ringstrom, Anna (2023-07-20). "Swedish embassy in Baghdad stormed, set alight over Koran burning plans". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  16. ^ Alkhshali, Hamdi; Najim, Aqeel (2023-07-20). "Iraqi protesters storm Swedish embassy in Baghdad over Quran burning". CNN. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  17. ^ Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (PDF) (Treaty, 22). 1961. p. 7.
  18. ^ Yousif, Nadine (2023-07-20). "Iraq expels Swedish ambassador as Quran row escalates". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  19. ^ "Iraq expels Swedish ambassador over planned Qur'an-burning protest". euronews. 20 July 2023.
  20. ^ "Prime Minister orders to withdraw the Iraqi Chargé d'Affairs in Stockholm, and instructs the Swedish Ambassador to leave Iraqi territory » Iraqi News Agency".
  21. ^ "Iraq". www.business-sweden.se. Archived from the original on 2017-03-05. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  22. ^ "Embassy of Sweden Baghdad - Trade with Iraq". Swedenabroad.com. 2010-04-14. Archived from the original on 2011-12-22. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
  23. ^ Embassy of Sweden, Baghdad, Iraq
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