Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met with Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde in Jerusalem on Monday, where the two discussed relations that have had their ups and downs over the years.
In 2014, Sweden’s government recognized Palestinian statehood with its former foreign minister making comments supporting the Palestinians.
Nevertheless, the two nations are determined to maintain growing ties and note that disagreements are part of the diplomatic process.
As Lapid posted on Twitter: “Israel and Sweden have a deep and long-standing friendship with ties in trade and culture.”
He acknowledged, “We also have a few disagreements. In recent years, these disagreements have caused us to move apart. Today, we are changing this.”
Linde followed suit, saying, “We might not always agree, but good friends disagree. And I think it’s really, really important that you know that Sweden is a friend of Israel,” she said, according to the AP.
Lapid also noted that Linde told him “behind the criticism lies a deep Swedish commitment to Israel’s security, and the right of the Jewish people to establish a state for ourselves in our historic homeland.”
Linde began her trip with a visit to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, placing a wreath in memory of the 6 million Jews murdered by Nazi Germany and its collaborators
“On behalf of Sweden, I promise that we say ‘Never again’ and mean it. We will continue to take action to combat anti-Semitism in all its forms, to make sure that we never forget,” she said, according to the report.
