Lennart Killander Larsson is the Ambassador of Sweden to Angola. Lennart has worked for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden for 25 years and has been stationed in Brazil, Washington, Stockholm and Luanda. As new Ambassador to Angola, Lennart is looking forward to strenghten the opportunities of business and trade between Sweden, Portugal, and Angola.
The CLS is eager and looks forward to our deepened collaboration!
Who is Lennart Killander Larsson and what is your background?
I am, since the beginning of the year, Sweden’s Ambassador to Angola. The Swedish government have chosen to station the Ambassador in Stockholm with frequent travels to Angola. Looking back in time, between 2016-2019, I was the Ambassador of Sweden to Angola, by then, stationed in Luanda.
During my 25 years at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, I have been working with trade related topics. Prior I have been stationed at the Embassies of Sweden in Brazil and in Washington, where promotion of trade was highly prioritized.
On a personal note, I am married and have two, now grown-up children, and a Labrador, called Happy!
What is the role of Angola in relation to Portugal?
For natural reasons, Angola and Portugal have a very close relation. The two countries collaborate within almost all sectors and have a great exchange not just related to trade but also culturally. Angola has in the last couple of years remarkably increased its collaboration with the EU and both Sweden and Portugal operate in Angola through the EU to further develop their relationship. A good example is a Business Forum which will take place in the end of May, for the second time in history, where participants from the EU member states will participate as well as European companies, including Sweden and Angola.
How is the relationship between the Ambassador of Sweden to Angola and CLS, and what are your ambitions for the future?
Throughout the years, the Embassy of Sweden in Luanda and CLS have had a close relationship. But as new Ambassador I would like to further deepen our collaboration and see the many great opportunities we have together. CLS is an excellent bridge for Swedish entities wanting to expand to Angola, and in my role as Ambassador I hope to be a facilitator for this. There is great potential to increase export and investment in Angola and together we stand stronger.
What is on the agenda in the close future in your collaboration with CLS?
A first step in developing the relationship between the Embassy and CLS is our joint Business Breakfast that we will organise on May 18, in Lisbon.
I hope we will deepen our collaboration and that there is an equal interest from the members of CLS. I am open to suggestions on activities from the CLS members and community see great potential and that we together can find a long-lasting collaboration in favour of the trade and business relations between Sweden, Portugal, and Angola.
