HARARE — Sweden, announced Friday, it will close its embassy in Harare as part of a decision to end its bilateral development cooperation with Zimbabwe by August 31, 2026, a move the Swedish government says reflects shifting foreign policy priorities rather than conditions in Zimbabwe.
In a statement, the Embassy of Sweden in Harare said the phase-out follows “a broader context involving many difficult deliberations” and is connected to Sweden’s changing security landscape and its new development cooperation reforms. The embassy said the Reform Agenda aims to “sharpen the focus of Sweden’s development cooperation and reduce the number of bilateral development cooperation strategies.”
The embassy stressed that the decision is “not connected to any specific events or developments in Zimbabwe.”
“Since the Embassy’s primary mission is closely linked to the Swedish development cooperation, the need for permanent diplomatic presence has been reduced. The decision therefore also entails that the Swedish Embassy in Harare will close.
Zimbabwe remains an important partner for Sweden,” the embassy said, adding: “Our historic relations are strong and marked by strong people-to-people ties. These ties create opportunities for continued collaboration between actors in Sweden and in Zimbabwe, even if the form for these collaborations may change.
Other African countries facing similar changes include Liberia, Mozambique and Tanzania.
Despite the closure, Sweden said it intends to keep a positive relationship with Zimbabwe through trade, investment and thematic cooperation. “Zimbabwe remains an important partner for Sweden. Our historic relations are strong and marked by strong people-to-people ties,” the embassy said.
The embassy said future links will focus on areas such as “sustainable mining, environment and climate and democracy and human rights.” Support will also continue through contributions to multilateral organizations and through the EU.
Sweden’s Foreign Ministry, Business Sweden and other agencies under Team Sweden will continue supporting Swedish companies with interests in Zimbabwe.
“The historic and diverse collaborations between our countries represents a stable base on which to build our continued partnership,” the statement said.”
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