Indonesia: Scandinavia should lead the UN

Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono has stated that Scandinavian countries were in a better position to lead world bodies like the United Nations, because they were small, rich, independent and good at diplomacy. As holder of the EU presidency, Sweden will lead the Council of European Union and act as the driving force behind the EU’s legislative and political work. It also means Swedish Cabinet members and diplomats have to chair 3,000 meetings in Stockholm, Brussels and other cities in the next six months.
“We held the EU presidency in 2001, so we have some experience. Though the situation may not be good because of the global financial crisis, we are confident we can run our presidency smoothly,” Anders Backman, the Swedish Embassy’s charge d’affaires, told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview at his office in Jakarta. Backman also noted his Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt’s recent remarks on Sweden’s EU presidency.
“Europe is facing many difficult challenges. I am convinced every challenge is an opportunity. And that is what the Swedish presidency is all about – taking on the challenge,” Reinfeldt said at a seminar at the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels early last month.


 

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