Sweden - Jean-Noël Barrot's meeting with his Swedish counterpart Sweden Relation bilatérale Communiqué On : May 22nd 2026 M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, had a meeting this morning with his Swedish counterpart, Ms Maria Malmer Stenergard, on the sidelines of the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden. The Minister welcomed Sweden’s choice of Naval Group’s Defence and Intervention Frigate for modernizing its navy. This historic decision reflects the mutual trust between our two countries, anchored in the strategic partnership signed in January 2024 during President Macron’s state visit to Sweden, and France and Sweden’s contribution to a strong, sovereign Europe within NATO. Building on their discussions in Malmö on 27 February 2026 during the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier’s stopover, the two ministers took stock of the priorities on the European agenda, particularly as regards support for Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.