Russia terminates activities of Sweden’s agencies that “promote national culture”

Russia has terminated activities of the Sweden’s International Development Agency and the Swedish Institute, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday, June 28.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced the termination of activities of Sweden’s International Development Agency (SIDA)  and the Swedish Institute by summoning Swedish Chargé d’Affaires ad interim in Russia J.Danielsson, on June 28

Danielsson was told that any activities of the Swedish International Development Agency and the Swedish Institute on the territory of the Russian Federation are now “undesirable and must be terminated immediately.”

If any Swedish diplomatic and consular institutions undertake any further efforts to promote the projects of these agencies, their staff with the corresponding abstract will be declared “persona non grata”.

The Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the Swedish Institute are Swedish governmental organisations that are concerned with the practical implementation of the Swedish government’s policy of assisting and promoting the national culture, language and way of life abroad, respectively.

According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, the agencies currently serve as the implementation arm of the Swedish Government’s “Strategy for Democracy, Human Rights and the Environment in Russia 2020-2024” with a total budget of SEK 389 million.

Russia claims that projects implemented in the Russian Federation by the Swedish International Development Agency and the Swedish Institute “do not meet the stated goals of promoting bilateral humanitarian and environmental cooperation, but instead focus on seeking to destabilise Russian society.”

The news of the termination of Sweden’s agencies in Russia, follows Russia’s Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev stating that any attack by NATO on Crimea, will be considered a declaration of war.

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