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IN PICS: French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Sweden
The Local Sweden - [email protected]
Published: 30 Jan, 2024 CET.
Updated: Tue 30 Jan 2024 14:18 CET
Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday began the first state visit to Sweden by a French President since that of Jacques Chirac 24 years ago. Here are the best pictures of the visit so far.
The French delegation arrived on Monday night at Stockholm's Arlanda airport, with France's ambassador Etienne de Gonneville posting a picture of the arrival on X.
Last night at Arlanda Airport. And so it begins...
Välkommen till Sverige!
🇨🇵🤝🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/HWLZ0yr1uC
— Etienne de GONNEVILLE (@e_de_gonneville) January 30, 2024
Macron's first appointment of the day was not with his Swedish hosts but with the French community in Stockholm.
He greeted a room full of French people living in Stockholm, together with French ambassador to Sweden Etienne de Gonneville, French Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, and French Higher Education and Research Minister Sylvie Retailleau.
Macron and his ministers stood on stage together during a playing of the French national anthem (pictured below).
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
Macron then made a speech to the French community (pictured below).
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
After that, he moved on to Sweden's Royal Palace, where he inspected Grenadiers from the Life Guard regiment, together with King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Photo: Ludovic Marin
The general public were allowed into the central courtyard of the palace to watch the ceremony.
Photo: Ludovic Marin
Macron greeted the crowd along with his wife Brigitte, Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, and other senior members of the delegation.
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
He then walked out with King Carl XVI Gustaf, who was wearing full military uniform, together with a red bandarole.
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
The two then inspected the soldiers gathered in the courtyard.
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
After which they held a joint press conference.
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
The Macrons and the Royal Couple then posed for a photo inside the Royal Palace, along with the Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel (right), and the Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia (left).
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
Macron then moved across the Norrström river to the Rosenbad Palace, the site of the offices of Sweden's prime minister, where he met Ulf Kristersson for a fika of coffee and cinnamon buns, as promised on Monday in Kristersson's welcome message on Instagram.
Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT
The two then held a joint press conference in which Ulf Kristersson heaped praise on Macron for his "impressive" speeches that set the agenda for the European Union, most over the block's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Macron in turn praised Sweden for being "an inspiration" for the way it combines a successful economy with a strong welfare state.
Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT
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The French delegation arrived on Monday night at Stockholm's Arlanda airport, with France's ambassador Etienne de Gonneville posting a picture of the arrival on X.
Last night at Arlanda Airport. And so it begins...
— Etienne de GONNEVILLE (@e_de_gonneville) January 30, 2024
Välkommen till Sverige!
🇨🇵🤝🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/HWLZ0yr1uC
Macron's first appointment of the day was not with his Swedish hosts but with the French community in Stockholm.
He greeted a room full of French people living in Stockholm, together with French ambassador to Sweden Etienne de Gonneville, French Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, and French Higher Education and Research Minister Sylvie Retailleau.
Macron and his ministers stood on stage together during a playing of the French national anthem (pictured below).
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
Macron then made a speech to the French community (pictured below).
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
After that, he moved on to Sweden's Royal Palace, where he inspected Grenadiers from the Life Guard regiment, together with King Carl XVI Gustaf.
Photo: Ludovic Marin
The general public were allowed into the central courtyard of the palace to watch the ceremony.
Photo: Ludovic Marin
Macron greeted the crowd along with his wife Brigitte, Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, and other senior members of the delegation.
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
He then walked out with King Carl XVI Gustaf, who was wearing full military uniform, together with a red bandarole.
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
The two then inspected the soldiers gathered in the courtyard.
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
After which they held a joint press conference.
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
The Macrons and the Royal Couple then posed for a photo inside the Royal Palace, along with the Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel (right), and the Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia (left).
Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
Macron then moved across the Norrström river to the Rosenbad Palace, the site of the offices of Sweden's prime minister, where he met Ulf Kristersson for a fika of coffee and cinnamon buns, as promised on Monday in Kristersson's welcome message on Instagram.
Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT
The two then held a joint press conference in which Ulf Kristersson heaped praise on Macron for his "impressive" speeches that set the agenda for the European Union, most over the block's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Macron in turn praised Sweden for being "an inspiration" for the way it combines a successful economy with a strong welfare state.
Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT
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