The Embassy of Sweden Section Office Yangon was officially opened on Sweden’s National Day June 6th by Sweden’s Ambassador Klas Molin and H.E U Thant Kyaw, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affair.
Present we’re representatives from the Myanmar Foreign Ministry, development partners, colleagues from other Embassies, media, representatives from civil society and business sector, Swedes living in Myanmar and more.
“Our diplomatic relations began in 1955. Our first Ambassador was a very well known academic, social critic and international personality, Alva Myrdal. She would have welcomed the political changes and reforms that have taken place in Myanmar over the past three years, and indeed so do we. This office is a clear sign that, so is the development cooperation strategy adopted last year,” says Ambassador Molin.
Earlier the same day, the Ambassador chaired a round table discussion on the current situation and challenges related to Peace, Human Rights and Gender with some grass roots organizations in Myanmar. At the opening, a photo exhibition was shown in the Nordic House with photos from a workshop recently held with some children in Myanmar and Swedish authors and illustrators of children’s literature Eva Susso and Anna Höglund.
The Honorary Consul of Sweden, Dr Myint Han, was decorated Officer First Class of the Order of the Polar Star by Ambassador Molin. The Order, which was awarded Dr. Myint Han by HM the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf, was recognition of his long and close relation to Sweden, and of his services to Sweden as Honorary Consul in Myanmar. The Ceremony took place at the Nordic House at the opening of the Section Office of Sweden in Yangon.
The Nordic House is the home of the offices of the four Nordic Diplomatic Missions in Myanmar: The Diplomatic Mission of Denmark, The Diplomatic Mission of Finland, The Embassy of Norway and The Embassy of Sweden, Section Office Yangon. The four diplomatic missions have common premises and administration.
Words and photos: Swedish Embassy in Thailand.
