Stockholm - Swedish King Carl Gustaf is to pay a state visit to Italy along with Queen Silvia in March, the royal palace and Swedish foreign ministry said Wednesday. The royals were to be accompanied by Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and a delegation of Swedish business leaders.
Swedish State Secretary Frank Belfrage said the March 24-27 visit offered "an opportunity to deepen relations and to discuss concrete projects."
Signhild Arnegard Hansen, chairwoman of the confederation of Swedish Enterprise, said some 20 companies were to accompany the royals and attend a seminar in Milan.
A theme during the visit was innovation, research and technology to promote environmental sustainability.
Hansen said some 200 Swedish companies had subsidiaries in Italy, which is Sweden's 10th largest trading partner.
Visits and tourism between the two countries have also increased in recent years, Swedish Ambassador to Italy Anders Bjurner said at a news briefing, noting that 300,000 Italian nationals visited Sweden in 2008 while about half a million Swedish nationals visited Italy.
The Swedish royals most recent official visit to Italy was in 1991. This time they would not make a separate visit to the Vatican, Bjurner said, but in addition to Rome could perhaps also visit Bologna.
Nina Eldh, head of the information and press department at the royal palace, said final details were outstanding in the programme.
