INTERVIEW BY MR PYM WITH MR ANTHAL OF ''EXPRESSEN'' ON WEDNESDAY, 27 APRIL 1983
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Q:
How do the British look on Sweden`and the Swedes?
A:
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As friends, essentially. We have been very close friends for a great
many centuries. We have got monarchies, our history has crossed and re-crossed
on a number of occasions. I think we think of your country as a very beautiful 28
one with its mountains, and its lakes. Some of us know you produced one of the
most brilliant tennis players there has ever been. You have got a distinct
HICK 04015 identity of your own, and a foreign policy of your own
Put essentially, I would say it's a relationship of friendship.
Q:
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Sweden sticks to its neutral policies. Is there a danger of Sweden getting isolated in the process of growing Western European integration, in
your opinion?
A: That is obviously a matter for Sweden to judge. I think not really
because you have a very positive policy and it is firmly rooted in the main-
stream of Western political tradition. You have your strongly defended
neutrality and your own particular outlook and therefore I wouldn't say that.
There are some issues where there are differences between your country, between
Sweden, and between a number of countries in Europe, for example over a nuclear
free zone, there are some aspects of that which we wouldn't agree with, but
that doesn't...that's not really the point of your question. I wouldn't say
there's an isolation. Certainly, for our part, we are very keen to maintain
the continuous kind of political dialogue that we indulge in and I certainly
believe that Sweden not only wants to but actually does maintain that dialogue
with all Western European countries and I think that is how it ought to be.
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Q:
You mention a nuclear free zone. What do you think about suggestions of a nuclear free zone in northern Europe, only northern Europe?
A: The point is that a nuclear free zone would not be free from an attack
by nuclear weapons, that's the point. It could still be targetted by weapons installed beyond the boders of the zone. Of course, Sweden is not a member
of NATO but NATO territory is defended as one, it's indivisible and special
nuclear free areas would undermine this principle but I think the point is it's not a valid concept anyway. What we want to do of course is to get major
reductions in arms, conventional and nuclear, and that is what we have been
struggling for and arguing for and negotiating for, but unfortunately the
Russians so far are showing no signs of agreeing. They seem to be taking a