Sweden Gov to phase-out strategy for development cooperation with Iraq

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell announced on Thursday that the Swedish Government made a decision to stop the plan of development and cooperation aid to Iraq, but gradually, and that would be towards the end of June 2025.

Actions will be taken slowly and step by step through the Swedish governmental agencies as well as by cooperating with the Iraqi relevant departments and organizations who were collaborating with the Sweden’s, the process expected to end by the mid of the next year.

Government Offices of Sweden announced “The Government has decided to begin a phase-out of Sweden’s strategy for development cooperation with Iraq. This phase-out will be done responsibly, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) have been tasked with concluding operations by 30 June 2025.”

This sector from the Swedish government provided humanitarian and development aid to the Iraqi state. They believe the circumstances changed in the Iraq, also consider that Iraq, now, is within a middle-income country for having sufficient resources, as infrastructure, to afford its population’s living costs.  

“Instead, we see an opportunity to broaden our relationship with Iraq through cooperation within areas such as trade, the environment and migration,” Forssell stated

The Foreign Policy Spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats Aron Emilsson said “To ensure that Swedish tax revenues are used for the most prioritized purposes, and we believe that measures like these strengthen Sweden’s ability to focus our efforts and resources where they do the most good,”

According to the gov. offices, instructions were given to Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) to change the strategies accordingly, as far as possible.

Moreover, the Swedish Government expressed officially through its foreign relationship offices her intentions to continue to work with the Iraqi country in the future. It is focused on the cross-matching between development and trade upgrade.

“The Government intends to continue cooperation with Iraq at the intersection of development aid and trade promotion, for example to promote a green transition.” declared by the Swedish Government offices for the International Development Cooperation and foreign trade.

The past Sweden’s plan for development cooperation with Iraq

Sweden’s bilateral Iraq plan and strategy was for 2022–2026, the fund for a total of SEK (the currency code for Kron) 1.2 billion, that went to Sida, yet a budget of SEK 45 million had allocated to FBA.

“Following a decision on a new level of development cooperation appropriation, the strategy has amounted to approximately SEK 190 million per year since 2023. Under the strategy, the amounts for 2025 will be SEK 100 million for Sida and SEK 4 million for FBA.” The Swedish government offices published.

According to the sources the total Swedish aids, for last decade, to Iraq, estimated to have been 3 billion Kron (248 million US dollars).