Mats Foyer
Encyclopedia
Mats Foyer is the ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden
accredited to and resident in the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea)
, a position he has held since 2005.
, English
, Russian
and French
.
At home in Sweden he worked at the Russian desk at Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Foyer was involved in the talks to release American journalists
held in North Korea
. He met with the journalists several times while they were held. The government of Sweden represents the United States in North Korea in lieu of an American embassy.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
accredited to and resident in the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea)
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, a position he has held since 2005.
Education
Foyer has a LLB and BA from the University of Stockholm and speaks SwedishSwedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
Diplomatic career
From 2002-2005 Foyer was minister in charge of political affairs at the Swedish Embassy in Beijing. Foyer has served in other posts including:- Russian Federation
- CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
At home in Sweden he worked at the Russian desk at Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Foyer was involved in the talks to release American journalists
2009 imprisonment of American journalists by North Korea
On March 17, 2009, North Korean border guards detained two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who were working for the U.S. independent cable television network Current TV, after they crossed into North Korea from the People's Republic of China without a visa. They were found guilty of...
held in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. He met with the journalists several times while they were held. The government of Sweden represents the United States in North Korea in lieu of an American embassy.