Falconpowers – Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade, Johan Forsell, announced that the Swedish government has started forming a special team with the mission of improving and correcting Sweden’s image abroad, especially in the Middle East and the Islamic world.
This initiative comes as a response to the serious negative repercussions caused by the incidents of Quran burning and the ongoing campaign known as “Sweden kidnapping Muslim children”.
The Minister for Foreign Trade stated, “During the crisis of Quran burning in Sweden and the misleading campaign that Sweden kidnaps Muslim children, we in the Swedish government believed that the consequences on trade and Sweden’s exports would be significant and serious for Sweden. However, this did not happen!” He revealed that trade with the Middle East has increased noticeably during this period, more than ever before.
Johan Forsell indicated that the government has tasked the Swedish Institute with forming a special team called the “Sweden Team” to improve and rectify Sweden’s image and build trust in Sweden abroad, particularly in parts of the Middle East, the Islamic world, North Africa, and Turkey. However, he emphasized the need to strengthen Sweden’s image in terms of the security element, as a misleading negative reputation can create enemies and pose a security threat to Sweden and its citizens.
