Lucia reception at Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Opening hours at the Protocol Department during Christmas holidays
The Protocol Department would like to thank the Diplomatic corps in Stockholm for attending the annual Lucia reception at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
The Protocol Department would also like to reiterate the opening hours during the Christmas holiday. During Christmas Eve (24 December), Christmas Day (25 December), Boxing Day (26 December), New Year's Eve (31 December) and New Year's Day (1 January) the Protocol Department at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will be closed.
On other working days the Protocol Department will be open during ordinary working hours (8.00-16.30). However, between 27 December - 4 January the working staff will be reduced. The staff will return to ordinary schedules from Monday 7 January.
For urgent matters directly related to Ms Caroline Vicini, Chief of Protocol, please contact Ambassador Hans Gunnar Adén who will serve as acting Head of Protocol during 21 December - 2 January.
The Protocol Department would like to wish the Diplomatic Corps in Stockholm a Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year 2013.
Norden - more than Scandinavia
Since four years the Association Norden and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs have organized one-day seminars at Biskops-Arnö, outside Stockholm. It has now been decided to divide the seminar into two parts. The first part, an introductory course for newcomers was held last week on 5 December and was very well attended despite the snowy weather.
New ambassadors
Three new ambassadors, from Switzerland, Honduras and Slovenia, presented their letters of credence to H.M. The King on 7 December.
Ola Ericson/imagebank.sweden.se - Christmas Market, Old Town, Stockholm
Christmas Markets in Stockholm
In order to get into the spirit of the festive season, the Protocol Department wishes to inform the Diplomatic Corps about some traditional Christmas Markets in Stockholm.
If you prefer to stay away from the snow and go inside for a nice cup of coffee, Rosendals Trädgård would be an excellent choice. Rosendal has Christmas roses, amaryllis and a warm fire outside the area. During this season traditional Christmas sweets and pastries are served as well as traditional Swedish Christmas cuisine in an environment full of decorations.
When: 15 - 16 December
Where: 10:00 - 16:00
However if you are a strong believer of the famous quote "Let it snow" you may want to visit the traditional outdoor Christmas Market in Gamla Stan (the Old Town). Here you may find Swedish Christmas sweets, smoked sausages, reindeer, elk meat and lots of other delicacies. Also you may taste the famous Swedish Glögg (mulled wine) and be able to buy a range of Swedish handicrafts and decorative arts of workmanship.
When: 24 November - 23 December
Where: Stortorget, Gamla Stan
Another outdoor Christmas Market recommended is the traditional Market in Skansen. At the Bollnäs Square and in the Town Quarter you may enjoy stands filled with Swedish handicraft, sweets and delicious food. To take a look the Christmas Market in Skansen please see the link below.
When: 8-9 and 15-16 December
Where: Skansen
Make a day trip to Drottningholm and experience a historic milieu of the highest international standards. The Drottningholm Palace is on UNESCO's World Heritage list. It is the most well-preserved royal castle built in the 1600s in Sweden and at the same time it is representative of all European architecture for the period. The Palace has been the present Royal Family's permanent residence. The rooms in the southern wing of the palace are reserved for this purpose. The rest of the palace and grounds are open to the public year round.
Drottningholm has an annual Christmas Market with all kinds of delicacies and traditional handicrafts. You can take the opportunity to visit the Palace at same time. It is possible to take a stroll by yourself or join a guided tour during the day.
When: 8 - 9 December, at 11.00 - 16.00
Where: Drottningholm
Winter tyres
Winter is fast approaching and the Protocol Department would therefore like to remind the Diplomatic Corps about the requirement for most cars to have winter tyres, or equivalent equipment, during winter road conditions between December 1st and March 31st. Studded tyres (Sw. "dubbdäck") are generally permitted on Swedish roads between October 1st and April 15th. However, in Stockholm it is forbidden to use studded tyres when driving on Hornsgatan on Södermalm.
For further information in English and some other languages, please click the link to the Swedish Transport Agency below.
Storytellers of Sweden, a webcast by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs
P O Enquist, Ulf Nilsson and Camilla Läckberg are examples of three very different but well-known and respected authors whose novels, plays, children's books and crime novels have reached out to a lot of people all around the world. Today, on 22th November, these three authors and a number of other interesting authors and industry representatives will be taking part in Storytellers of Sweden, a webcast by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
At the request of the Minister for Trade, Dr. Ewa Björling, Swedish missions around the world will be organizing local screenings and producing videoed book presentations. This coordinated initiative will highlight the success of Swedish literature around the world, complementing all the interesting programmes and activities the missions will be arranging on the theme of literature in general.
Collective Bargaining and Conflict Resolution in the Swedish Labour Market
On Wednesday November 14th 2012, the Protocol Department organised a well-attended seminar on the topic "Collective Bargaining and Conflict Resolution in the Swedish Labour Market". Presentations were made by Ms Nicola Lewis, Section Manager at the trade union Unionen, Mr Christer Ågren, executive vice president of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, and Mr Kurt Eriksson, Senior Legal Adviser at the National Mediation Office.
Norden more than Scandinavia
Diplomats are invited to a seminar that introduces the co-operation between the five countries and the three autonomous areas in the Nordic region.
Since four years the Association Norden and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs have organized one-day seminars at Biskops-Arnö, outside Stockholm. For the first time we are now dividing the seminar in two parts, an introductory course for newcomers and a thematic seminar for those who have already participated earlier. The thematic seminar will take place in June next year, at Biskops-Arnö. We will return with an invitation in spring 2013.
The half-day introductory seminar will take place on December, 5th, at Bygdegården Anna Whitlock, Eriksbergsgatan 8B in the centre of Stockholm. Please find enclosed the invitation for further information.
Gifts
In view of the upcoming holiday season the Protocol Department wishes to recall the local rules and regulations regarding gifts.
While gifts are a part of international protocol in connection with official visits, state visits etc., it is important to take into account legal and ethical factors when considering gifts to public officials in Sweden. For instance, because of the restrictive general policy regarding alcohol in the Swedish public service, gifts consisting of alcoholic beverages are not recommended. Equally, gift tokens, vouchers or monetary gifts are not recommended, since public officials are not allowed to accept them.
Furthermore, according to the current ethical guidelines for Government Offices officials and other public officials, gifts exceeding a value equivalent to 300-400 Swedish kronor should not be kept by the receiving official but must be handed to the Ministry's official gifts repository.
Organizing events requiring alcohol license and procedure for applying for security measures in Stockholm
The Protocol Department wishes to notify Diplomatic Missions organizing events requiring alcohol license to inform Birgitta Mohlström about this in a timely manner. Please see circular note of 13 November 2012.
The Protocol Department wishes further to remind Diplomatic Missions about the procedure for applying for security measures in Stockholm. Please see the Diplomatic Guide, Chapter 25: Embassy security.
