The social aspect of diplomacy is becoming more important
H.E. Mr. Hakan Jevrell, Ambassador of Sweden, with Mrs. Catharina Jevrell, DSA Vice President 2026
Text: Martina Hošková and M. Zisso; Photo: Archive
Can you share a bit about your background, please?
Born in Stockholm in the late sixties, I began my professional life in the Royal Swedish Navy before going on to study law and eventually serve as a prosecutor. I joined the Government Offices in 2006, and the following year I had the privilege of being appointed State Secretary for Defence (Deputy Minister). After that, I was honoured to serve as Sweden’s ambassador to Singapore and Brunei, and later as the Swedish representative in Taiwan.
Since last August, I have had the great privilege of serving as Sweden’s ambassador to the Czech Republic.
On a personal note, I am the father of Edward and Beatrice, who are currently studying in Paris, and I have been married to my wonderful wife, Catharina, for almost 30 years.
What made you become an ambassador?
Marrying a diplomat’s daughter certainly comes with certain expectations – or so I like to joke. In reality, I’ve always been drawn to international affairs and to understanding how different societies function. My wife studied political science and had already lived abroad for many years, so her experience and curiosity about the world strengthened my own.
When the opportunity to serve abroad arose, it felt like a natural step. We discussed it as a family, and everybody agreed to take the chance. Looking back, none of us has ever regrettated that decision.
It will soon be a year since you arrived in the Czech Republic. What has been your impression?
Beautiful Prague and beautiful Czech Republic! It is truly a privilege to serve here. We have been very well received, and people have been very kind – both in professional settings and in the many everyday encounters you have when you are new to a country.
I personally feel that the Czech Republic is something of a hidden gem in Europe: a well-educated workforce, advanced manufacturing, high-level universities, an impressive cultural sector, and of course a very accomplished hockey nation.
I have also been impressed by how the Czech Republic continues to support Ukraine – not only by receiving many refugees, but also through concrete actions such as the ammunition initiative. Continued European support for Ukraine is a top priority for the Swedish Government.
From right: H.E. Mr. Hakan Jevrell, Ambassador of Sweden, H.E. Ms. Snofrid Byrlokken Emterud, Ambassador of Norway, Mrs. Catharina Jevrell, DSA Vice President 2026, and H.E. Mr. Pasi Olavi Tuominen, Ambassador of Finland
How many countries have you served in up until now?
I have served in Singapore, Brunei, and Taiwan. I’ve greatly appreciated the opportunity to serve in Asia, where things move very fast and innovation and new technological solutions emerge almost daily.
How does being an ambassador fit into your lifestyle?
Both my wife and I are very curious about other people and cultures, which I believe is essential in this line of work. It also means taking part in events during evenings and weekends, so a flexible schedule is important – and most of the time it works very well, even though our two dogs occasionally find us a bit boring.
That flexibility also gives us a lot of freedom to plan our own activities, such as travelling to Paris to visit our children.
Which responsibilities tend to be the most difficult to manage?
The embassy has a responsibility to support Swedish citizens in need, which can at times be challenging, depending on the situation – for example, when Swedes run into trouble abroad or in the event of a large-scale accident or terrorist attack involving Swedish citizens. Besides being deeply sad and painful, such an incident and crisis management would almost certainly place significant strain on our resources.
You also served as Ambassador, Special Envoy on Organized Crime. Can you please tell us more about this important issue?
It is clear that organized crime is far more efficient in its cross-border activities than the governments of Europe. In the criminal world, they operate as if there were a single European market.
By contrast, most EU Member States have at least two different police forces and different legal systems, which makes information sharing too slow and creates too many obstacles for us to keep pace with criminal networks.
Organized crime functions much like any other business: it seeks environments with low risk and high return – and unfortunately, Europe currently provides exactly that. Unless our crime-fighting agencies become more effective at working together internationally, we will continue to face challenges in combating the criminal elements that harm our societies.
From right: H.E. Mr. Hakan Jevrell, Ambassador of Sweden, Mrs. Eva Pavlová, First Lady of the Czech Republic, Mrs. Catharina Jevrell, DSA Vice President 2026, and Swedish Embassy team
Can you give a piece of advice to the next generation of ambassadors?
In an era of digitalization, with new AI tools emerging almost by the hour, the social aspect of diplomacy is becoming even more important. Being open to people and to new cultures will play an increasingly central role.
At the same time, none of this is possible without a solid knowledge base and an understanding of how to use the tools of tomorrow.
Last but not least, if a new opportunity arises, jump and take on the challenge. Don’t hesitate – the world won’t wait for you.
What do you do in your free time?
Since I’m from Sweden, I love spending time on the ice, and I’m happy to have found a good hockey team to play with here in Prague. My wife and I also spend a lot of time on the golf course. Beyond that, we enjoy travelling with our children and spending time with friends and loved ones.
How do you promote your country as a holiday destination?
I’m privileged to have been born and raised in Sweden, which makes it easy to promote my country. Besides being an obvious destination for people who love nature, mushroom picking, and other outdoor activities, Swedes are open, curious, and innovative. And very much like the Czechs, we love spending our weekends in the countryside.
From high-end tech – like Lovable and Minecraft – to music such as ABBA, Avicii, and Roxette, or even being streamed on Swedish Spotify, we also offer Pippi Longstocking and the world of Astrid Lindgren.
And for beer-loving Czechs, we have microbreweries that are slowly learning how to make a proper beer. We know we’re lagging behind the breweries here in the Czech Republic, but it’s worth a try.
The President of the Czech Republic, Mr. Petr Pavel, receiving the accreditation from H.E. Mr. Hakan Jevrell, Ambassador of Sweden
What is the current status of Czech-Swedish relations?
I’m fortunate to be posted to a country with which Sweden has excellent relations. Our two countries are very similar in many ways: we are mid-sized European economies with strong industrial bases and future-oriented youth ready to take on the opportunities of tomorrow. We also share membership in the EU, and, in recent years, in NATO.
Sweden is very much engaged in the ongoing development of Czech defence capabilities – for example, through the combat vehicle programme with the Swedish CV90, as well as the long-standing partnership built around the Czech Republic’s operation of the JAS 39 Gripen.
We also share a strong tradition in glass and crystal production. And with Škoda on your side and Volvo and Scania on ours, our supply chains are highly integrated.
Now, I’m looking forward to expanding our relationship into more areas, including the capital market. Sweden and the Czech Republic are both investing heavily in future nuclear power which also gives excellent opportunities for integrated supply chains.
And of course, our relationship remains robust despite our national hockey teams going head-to-head in various tournaments. Let the best team win.
This interview is done on the occasion of your national day. What are you wishing for your country – and for the Czech Republic?
Prosperity and peace in a very challenging world. And together, we will be able to deliver a future for the generations to come.