Dear Readers,
Since my fi rst days in Sweden, I could experience the intensity of Czech-Swedish economic relations in real life. I was received in the Royal Palace wearing a tophat produced by the traditional Czech company TONAK, only to fi nd out that it´s owned by a Swedish firm now. Also horses used during this grand ceremony are raised in the Kladruby stables, founded in the 16th century and located East of Prague.

One can see numerous Škoda cars in the streets of Stockholm, and most of the hospital beds sold in Sweden are produced by the Czech company Linet, and their high quality is well known worldwide. 65% of our exports to Sweden is machinery, but also other products are popular. So far, I didn´t see any restaurant or bar that wouldn´t serve Czech beers, and their good reputation is underlined by the fact that some Swedish breweries proudly (and rightly, as far as I could taste) boast that they produce beer in “Czech style”. During my welcoming reception, our Embassy served excellent wines from the Czech Republic´s South Moravian region offered with great success by Systembolaget.

Sweden is a highly popular country among Czechs, and Swedish products are also very visible. Our air force pilots fl y Gripen, and tractors and trailers imported from Sweden are a common sight in the Czech countryside. Sweden ranks with its 120 companies and appr. 12 000 employees among 15 biggest investors in our country, benefiting from and contributing to our highly competitive, open and knowledge-based economy.

I am happy to see that this relationship is not static – statistics prove that the upward trend of our economic relations. Our mutual trade grew by 9.3% in 2015, reaching the volume of almost EUR 3.3 billion. Also the tourism sector, so important for mutual understanding, flourishes – growing numbers of Swedes (over 100 000 last year) visit our country annually. New promising innovative sectors, like e.g. life science, are being explored.

The Czech Embassy, in cooperation with the CzechTrade, CzechTourism and Czech Centre, our government agencies based in Stockholm, wants to be a reliable partner and facilitator for any entity interested in development of Czech-Swedish economic relations.

Our doors are always open for you.

Jiří Šitler
Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Kingdom of Sweden

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