The Ambassador of Sweden to the Philippines (known formally as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of the Philippines) is the official representative of the government of Sweden to the president of the Philippines and government of the Philippines.

History On 17 January 1947, the King in Council decided to recognize the Republic of the Philippines as an independent and sovereign state. Sweden and the Philippines established diplomatic relations that same year. In January 1948, Sweden's envoy in Nanking, Torsten Hammarström, was also appointed as envoy to Manila. From January 1953, the Swedish minister in Jakarta was additionally accredited to Manila. In May 1958, an agreement was reached between the Swedish and Indonesian governments to elevate their respective legations to embassies. As a result, the diplomatic rank was changed from envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to ambassador. Jens Malling, who had previously served as envoy in Jakarta and Manila, was now appointed ambassador.

Sweden had been represented in Manila since the establishment of a Swedish honorary consulate on 16 November 1839. During the final decades of its existence, the honorary consulate operated under the jurisdiction of the mission in Jakarta. It was elevated to an honorary consulate general in 1955, before being closed in the early 1970s.

Despite having an unpaid honorary consul general who served until the honorary consulate's closure in the early 1970s, there was a Swedish career consul stationed in Manila from 1963 to 1974. Karl Bertil Eriksson became the last career consul in Manila in 1973. The following year, he was appointed chargé d'affaires and embassy counsellor. On 1 July 1980, Sweden's independent embassy in Manila became operational, and Bo Kälfors, the embassy's counselor, was appointed as Sweden's first resident ambassador.

On 9 August 1995, Sweden and Palau established diplomatic relations. From the same year, the Swedish ambassador in Manila was accredited to Palau.

The embassy was closed on 30 June 2008. The responsibility for the Philippines was then transferred to the Swedish ambassador in Bangkok, and the responsibility for Palau was transferred to the Swedish ambassador in Tokyo. Sweden's embassy in Manila was reopened on 8 November 2016. Sweden's new resident ambassador in Manila, Harald Fries, presented his credentials to President Rodrigo Duterte in December of the same year.

List of representatives NamePeriodResident / Non-residentTitleResident / Concurrent accreditationNotesPresented credentialsRefTorsten Hammarström1947–1951 Non-residentEnvoyResident in China.–1951–1952 Non-residentEnvoyVacantMalte Pripp1953–1956 Non-residentEnvoyResident in JakartaJens Malling1956 – May 1958 Non-residentEnvoyResident in JakartaJens MallingMay 1958 – 1959 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in JakartaTord Göransson1959–1962 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in Jakarta14 December 1959Louis De Geer1962–1966 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in JakartaHarald Edelstam1966–1968 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in JakartaKarl Henrik Andersson1969–1973 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in JakartaKarl Bertil Eriksson1974–1977 ResidentChargé d'affairesCai Melin1974–1977 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in JakartaKnut Granstedt1977–1980 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in JakartaKjell Anneling1977–1979 ResidentChargé d'affaires ad interimBo Kälfors1979–1980 ResidentChargé d'affaires ad interimBo Kälfors1980–1983 ResidentAmbassadorCecilia Nettelbrandt1983–1987 ResidentAmbassadorPolitical appointee (non-career diplomat)Hans Grönwall1987–1991 ResidentAmbassadorHarald Fälth1991–1993 ResidentAmbassadorChristofer Gyllenstierna1993–1996 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to Palau (from 1995)Bo Eriksson1996–1999 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to PalauUlf Håkansson2000–2003 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to PalauAnnika Markovic2003–2007 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to PalauInger Ultvedt2007–2008 ResidentAmbassadorAlso accredited to PalauLennart Linnér2008–2011 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in BangkokKlas Molin2011–2015 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in Bangkok10 January 2013Staffan Herrström2015–2016 Non-residentAmbassadorResident in BangkokHarald FriesSeptember 2016 – August 2021 ResidentAmbassadorAnnika ThunborgAugust 2021 – August 2024 ResidentAmbassadorHarald FriesAugust 2024 – January 2025 ResidentChargé d'affaires ad interimAnna FerryJanuary 2025 – present ResidentAmbassador

See also Philippines–Sweden relations

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