Remarks With Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt Before Their Meeting

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Treaty Room

Washington, DC

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, what a pleasure to welcome the foreign minister of Sweden, who has been at the forefront of politics, both in Sweden and globally, for so many years. It’s a delight to have him. We have a great relationship with Sweden. We have had so many important issues that we have tackled together. Sweden will assume the presidency of the European Union, which will give an even greater emphasis to the leadership that Sweden shows on so many global concerns. And I’m just delighted that the minister could be here.

FOREIGN MINISTER BILDT: And I’m delighted to be here. Glad to see you. We’ve seen each other a couple of times already.

SECRETARY CLINTON: We have. We have.

FOREIGN MINISTER BILDT: And we have a spectacularly good bilateral relationship. But we also have, I think, one of the, or probably the most fruitful (inaudible) transatlantic relationship that I think we’ve had in living memory of an open and very constructive dialogue on what is, by all standards, an extremely challenging mutual agenda, where we need to move together on a lot of these issues. We’ve had x-numbers of meetings. There will be more. And as said, Sweden will be assuming the presidency of the European Union in the second half of this year, and the further strengthening of transatlantic cooperation, partnership, and dialogue on all sorts of issues will be very high up on our agenda.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Indeed.

FOREIGN MINISTER BILDT: So that will (inaudible) --

SECRETARY CLINTON: So welcome.

FOREIGN MINISTER BILDT: Thank you very much.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Thank you all very much.

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