First edition of Forum Östeuropa

On 13 March 2025, SCEEUS, together with the Swedish Institute (SI), organised the Forum Eastern Europe for the first time. The idea was to bring together the broad Swedish expertise working with Eastern Europe to enable future collaborations and share experiences. And what a response we received — over 50 organisations and more than 100 participants gathered during the day to discuss challenges and opportunities for Swedish actors in the region.

Foto: SCEEUS

There is significant Swedish engagement with Eastern Europe, along with a broad range of expertise active in the region. Authorities, civil society organisations, and academics working with Eastern Europe were represented and shared their experiences.

Two panel discussions were held during the day. The first panel reviewed the current situation in Eastern Europe and the strategic visions of Sweden and the EU. Issues discussed included what closer EU integration means in practice and what the actual goals of Sweden and the EU are. The panel was moderated by Klara Lindström, an analyst at SCEEUS.

The second panel discussion focused on methods to strengthen Swedish expertise in the region. Topics included how to increase the visibility of Swedish actors and initiatives in the region and how to strengthen networks and long-term collaboration between various stakeholders. This panel was moderated by Ann Milton from SI.

Foto: SCEEUS