Tharman to Lead Singapore's First State Visit to Sweden

Tharman to Lead Singapore’s First State Visit to Sweden

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President Tharman Shanmugaratnam is undertaking a five-day state visit to Sweden from October 17 to 21, 2026, marking the first visit to the Scandinavian country by a Singaporean president and commemorating six decades of diplomatic ties.

State Reception at the Royal Palace and Political Talks in Stockholm

President Tharman will receive a ceremonial welcome at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, where King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia will host a state banquet in his honor. The journey reciprocates the Swedish monarch’s visit to Singapore in November 2024 and serves to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations established in 1966.

Beyond royal engagements, the Singaporean leader’s political itinerary includes meetings with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Speaker of the Riksdag Andreas Norlén, alongside other members of the Swedish parliament. Kristersson has continued to lead a caretaker government following a narrow defeat of his right-wing bloc by the centre-left opposition in Sweden’s September general election.

The current state visit follows previous high-level security and defence exchanges between the two nations, which included Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam traveling to Sweden in May 2026 to engage with Swedish officials.

President Engages with Entrepreneurs and Youth-Focused Non-Profit

The trip features substantial business and economic outreach. President Tharman is scheduled to deliver a lecture at the Stockholm School of Economics and attend a lunch hosted by members of the Stockholm City Council. Together with King Carl XVI Gustaf, he will meet Swedish entrepreneurs across various sectors and engage with representatives from Fryshuset, a non-profit organisation focused on youth empowerment.

Singapore-Sweden relations: President Tharman's Sweden trip marks first state visit

In addition to these events, the President will attend a dedicated reception hosted for Overseas Singaporeans residing in Sweden.

Economic ties between the two nations have grown steadily. Total trade in goods reached $1.9 billion in 2025, while total trade in services stood at $1.4 billion in 2024. In direct investment, Sweden’s foreign direct investment stock in Singapore reached $9.7 billion as of 2024, while Singaporean direct investments in Sweden totaled $1.6 billion. Close to 600 Swedish companies currently operate in Singapore, including recent commercial expansions by Spotify at its Southeast Asian regional headquarters. Bilateral cooperation extends into research and innovation, encompassing collaborative work on quantum technologies.

Tharman to Lead Singapore's First State Visit to Sweden
Photo: Channelnewsasia

Future Transport Innovation in Gothenburg

The state visit extends beyond the capital to Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city. President Tharman and King Carl XVI Gustaf will visit the World of Volvo automotive museum to discuss the future of transport with business leaders, and tour the Chalmers University of Technology. During this leg of the journey, Västra Götaland Governor Sten Tolgfors will host the President for lunch.

The official delegation accompanying President Tharman reflects a wide cross-section of government and industry. His wife, Mrs Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, travels alongside Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli and Minister of State for Manpower, Energy, Trade and Industry Foo Cexiang.

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