Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde starts Monday an official visit to Israel.
“Foreign Minister Ann Linde will visit Israel and Palestine on October 18 and 19,” the Swedish government said on Sunday.
Linde will meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Monday, as well as with President of Israel Isaac Herzog.
This is the first Swedish Foreign Minister to visit Israel since Sweden recognized a Palestinian state in 2014, a move which weakened relation between the two countries.
The Swedish minister will also visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and participate in an exhibition hosted by Sweden’s ambassador to Israel, marking 70 years of diplomatic relations.
Last month, Lapid had a phone conversatgion with her Swedish counterpart, a talk that ‘’symbolizes the relaunching of high-level relations at this level,’’ he then said.
He also said that he “appreciates the Swedish minister’s statement regarding Sweden’s strong and solid commitment to the security of Israel and her recognition in the course of our conversation of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.”
During her visit, Linde will also travel to Ramallah for meetings with Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and PA Prime Minister.
The thaw in relations with Israel does not call into question Sweden’s recognition of a state of Palestine, Swedish press agency TT reported.
“I fully support this decision. After all, it was also about wanting a two-state solution, wanting to strengthen the moderate forces and to make the parties less unequal in the peace negotiations,” Linde told TT.