Embassy of Sweden in Nicosia

15/06/2026

10/06/2026

Pleased to share this article published yesterday on e-kathimerini for you to enjoy some reflections on our now finished Pippi and Moomin project.

Author Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides describes how the project brought children to think about kindness, difference, and what it means to be yourself.

In her own words, Bushnell Kyriakides reflects: "It wasn’t really about who “won” in the traditional sense. It was more about what the kids took from it, that being different is okay, that kindness matters, and that stories can say things adults sometimes struggle to.". 🎉🎈

I’ll be honest, when I first heard about this, I didn’t think many kids in Cyprus would even know who Pippi Longstocking or the Moomins were.

09/06/2026

Last night, the Embassy hosted a reception to celebrate Swedish National Day at the Swedish residence in Nicosia 🇸🇪🎉

The evening featured speeches from Ambassador Martin Hagström and Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection, Dr. Nicholas A. Ioannides on behalf of the Cyprus Government. Ambassador Hagström highlighted the close and historic ties between Sweden and Cyprus and spoke about the past, current and planned activities of the Embassy. As Ambassador Hagström is rotating this fall, he dedicated parts of his speech to thank Cyprus, our partners, the Swedish community and colleagues for an inspiring time on the beautiful island.

We were very pleased to see that our esteemed guests enjoyed themselves while raising a toast to Sweden with us.

The guests were also accompanied by lovely music performed by Anna-Karin Eliadou and Nicholas Christodoulou. Some Swedish music (ABBA was a must!) and a delicious midsummer-buffet was presented for the guests to enjoy!

06/06/2026

Today, 6 June, is Sweden’s National Day! 🎉💛💙 🇸🇪

Time to wave those blue and yellow flags and sing our hearts out to ‘Du gamla, Du fria’ – Sweden’s national anthem. 🎶 Scroll down for the lyrics in Swedish!

Here are some fascinating facts about this song:

🎵 It’s not officially official. Although sung at national celebrations and international sporting events, ‘Du gamla, Du fria’ – with lyrics by Richard Dybeck from 1844 – has never been formally adopted as our national anthem. Only by tradition, not by law.

🌍 It's about more than Sweden – it's also about the northern region. The song is a tribute to the natural beauty, freedom and shared heritage of the north. The title, 'Thou ancient, thou free', celebrates liberty and peace – values that resonate far beyond Sweden’s borders.

🌲 It’s a love letter to nature. Unlike many anthems that focus on national power or military might, Sweden’s national anthem is a poetic tribute to its natural beauty – ‘Thy sun, thy sky, thy meadows green.’

Music: The Band of the Royal Guards Regiment (Högvakten)

Footage from Image Bank Sweden: Recplus, Carl Schnell, Nils Bjuggstam, Nicklas Gustafsson, Emil Sergel, Henrik Trygg, Storyboard Film & Television AB, Daniel Joneström, Javier Vilar Ehrlin, Ola Ericson, Morgan Gustafsson, Asaf Kliger, Plattform/Johnér, Julius Aspman, Anders Klapp, Conny Fridh, Sham Ismail

31/05/2026

Mother's day is celebrated annually in Sweden on the last Sunday in May.

We'd like to extend our warmest congratulations to all mums around the world!

Credits: Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se

29/05/2026

The International Day of Peacekeepers is a day celebrated on 29 May to honor all those who participate or have participated in United Nations peacekeeping forces.

Sweden will on this day come together to honor its veterans – past, present and future. It is also a day dedicated to all the relatives who provide support and enable a loved one to make a significant contribution to the service of the nation.

A special mention to all the Swedish 🇸🇪 peacekeepers that have served in UNFICYP 🇺🇳. The Swedish UN force on Cyprus was Sweden’s largest ever peace-keeping mission. It lasted from 1964 to 1993. In all, Sweden provided 25 589 military personnel and 2 365 police officials to UNFICYP. During the mission, 17 Swedes lost their lives. Sweden also broke new ground by employing women in the UN mission for the first time.

Credits: Försvarsmakten

28/05/2026