Helena Reitberger has taken up office as Sweden’s new representative to Taiwan after the position had been left vacant for five months, saying in a social media post yesterday that she expects to develop bilateral cooperation across various fields.
Former representative Anders Wollter left office in March and returned to Sweden after only one year in Taipei, while his predecessor Bengt Carlsson had been in the position from 2020 to 2022, but did not stay in Taiwan for long due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Swedish Trade and Invest Council yesterday said in a post on its official Facebook page “Sweden in Taiwan” welcoming Reitberger’s return to Taiwan.
Reitberger said in the post that she began her term as Sweden’s representative to Taiwan yesterday and had moved to Taipei with her two sons, expecting “an exciting time on the beautiful island.”
Photo from Helena Reitberger’s Facebook page
She also said her return to Taiwan is “a joyous return” as she had worked at the council 20 years ago and made friends with whom she has since kept in touch.
“I have visited Taipei a couple of times over the years, always returning to one of my favorite places — Elephant Mountain!” Reitberger said, adding that she loves the flowers and vegetation, the views of the city, and “the feeling of exhaustion after a long hike.”
Reitberger believes her arrival in Taiwan is “at a very exciting time,” as “relations between Sweden and Taiwan are continuously evolving” and further dialogue and collaboration could be developed across many different areas: green transition, digital technology, artificial intelligence and healthcare, as well as educational, academic and cultural exchange.
“I look forward to playing my part, along with the excellent team at the office, as we continue this journey together!” Reitberger said.
She also thanked her predecessor Wollter for what he had done during his term and his support for her taking up the position.
At the end of the post, the council encouraged Taiwanese to greet Reitberger with “Hej” (meaning “hello” in Swedish) if they see her on the hiking trails on Elephant Mountain.
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