23 years since a French head of state visited Sweden. Emmanuel Macron will be in Stockholm this Tuesday, in the south of the country. Meetings are planned to strengthen economic ties and cooperation between the two countries, but there will also be a lot of talk about European defense, on the eve of a European Council on Thursday which will be decisive for the future of financial support for Ukraine. .
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With our correspondent in Stockholm, Carlotta Morteo
While waiting for Sweden to join NATO, France has provided security guarantees to Stockholm in the event of an attack. A beautiful signal of friendship, which reassures Sweden in the idea that it is not alone against Russia. The Nordic country is one of kyiv’s most unwavering supporters and is delighted that Paris has adopted a firm stance vis-à-vis Moscow.
On a more technical front, Sweden hopes to benefit from the expertise of French companies in nuclear energy. The right-wing coalition in power has made the revival of civil atoms a pillar of its program, the government plans to open 2 plants by 2035, 10 by 2045. A letter of intent has been signed with France in December to encourage trade, this is a first step.
The two countries also share the idea that to become a geopolitical force, Europe must reduce its dependence on others on strategic issues: space, the defense industry, critical raw materials and pharmaceutical products. Sectors in which France and Sweden have strong interests and are sometimes competitors.