Since 2008, our reform cooperation with Eastern Europe has been a new policy area within our development assistance. The targets for this policy area are stronger democracies, fair and sustainable development as well as moving towards the EU and its fundamental values.
Economic progress democratic prospects
Developments over the last 10 years have led to a reduction in poverty in Eastern Europe. This progress signifies an adjustment to our cooperation from rebuilding to reform work. Sweden is providing support to modernize administration and to make it more democratic.
Nine countries are in focus for our reform work in this region; Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. Sweden has built trust here that gives our efforts added value. There is hard work ahead, but our efforts are bringing results.
- In Kosovo, the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation has been promoting the growth of women’s movements.
- In Ukraine, we have been contributing to strengthening institutions in the fight against human trafficking.
- In Serbia, we have contributed to laws being passed on gender equality and discrimination.
Borderless cooperation is our future
Given the overlying threat of climate change, and a global economy, our future lies in cross-border collaboration. It is therefore important to have cooperation between authorities in Sweden and their equivalent authorities in our cooperational countries.
The future of the Baltic Sea is dependent on international cooperation. Years of unfiltered discharges and eutrophication have greatly affected the ecological balance. The Baltic Sea team is promoting environmentally-related initiatives that are being taken by players in the countries around the Baltic Sea.
Our support to our cooperational countries in Europe is channelled through one area; reform work in Eastern Europe.
