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The Swedish Government decided on November 3 to open a Consulate General in San Francisco, California. An enhanced diplomatic presence on the on the West Coast of the United States will create new opportunities for active trade promotion and promotion of Sweden. The decision also addresses the increasing demand from the Swedish business sector for coordination efforts and support in the region.
With a population of approximately 40 million, California has the world’s fifth largest economy. It is a world leader in many fields of innovation and research, such as green technology and vehicle development, and has some of the world’s top universities. Swedish interests in California are strong and growing – more than 100 Swedish businesses represented there provide a total of more than 43 000 jobs. San Francisco and Silicon Valley lead technological innovation in artificial intelligence and cloud services.
By enhancing Sweden’s diplomatic presence on the US West Coast, we can create new opportunities for active trade promotion and promotion of Sweden, and provide better assistance to Swedish small- and medium-sized enterprises seeking to connect with public and private counterparts engaged in future technologies and in the cultural and creative industries.
By opening a Consulate General, Sweden will also meet the need for consular services to Swedes on the West Coast of the United States.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs continuously adapts the Swedish Foreign Service in response to external changes, changing requirements and needs, and the budgetary situation to create the best possible conditions for effective and coherent foreign policy and to promote Swedish interests. This is a constant process of change, and involves Sweden sometimes opening or closing embassies and consulates.
The opening of the Consulate General in San Francisco is planned to take place in the second half of 2022.
Q&A about the opening of the Consulate General in San Francisco
Sweden has diplomatic relations with almost all States in the world. It has embassies and consulates in around half of these. Sweden's foreign representation consists of approximately 100 missions abroad and 350 honorary consulates.