Stockholm, 13 February 2025
The Swedish Government has decided to establish a consulate-general in Houston, Texas and upgrade the Consulate-General in Brussels to an embassy. The aim of these reinforcements is to help boost growth, strengthen Swedish competitiveness and make Sweden more attractive as a country to invest in by improving conditions for trade, investment and innovation.
“A strong Sweden requires a strong international presence. Through these reinforcements, we can better promote opportunities for Swedish companies, strengthen Sweden’s competitiveness and increase our country’s attractiveness as an investment partner. This is an important initiative to promote Swedish interests internationally,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard.
The opening of the new Consulate-General in Houston is part of the strategy to strengthen Sweden’s presence in the US. The Consulate-General will focus on promoting cooperation between the countries in the areas of trade, investment and innovation. Texas is one of the world’s most dynamic economies, and Houston stands out as a global hub for energy, emerging technologies and life sciences. This establishment is expected to support Swedish companies’ presence in the region, where around 90 of them already have operations.
The Consulate-General in Brussels is being converted to an embassy to be able to better meet Swedish interests in Belgium, strengthen bilateral relations and strategically promote trade relations between Sweden and Belgium. The country has a large presence of Swedes and major business interests. Belgium is Sweden’s tenth-largest export market. There are 300 Swedish companies in the country. In addition, deepened police and judicial cooperation is needed in order to fight drug-related crime.
These establishments are projected to be implemented in mid-2025.
Fact box
Texas is the second-largest state in the US and the world’s eighth-largest economy, Approximately 16 000 Swedes currently live in Texas.
Belgium and Luxembourg are currently covered by a Stockholm-based ambassador. Since 2020, there has been a Consulate-General in Brussels that shares its premises with the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the European Union. Approximately 10 000 Swedes live in Belgium, mainly working in the EU institutions.
Source – Foreign Ministry of Sweden