By Zhou Jing

Tackling the global financial crisis and climate change will be two priorities of the Swedish presidency of the European Union, the ambassador of Sweden to China, Mikael Lindström, said Wednesday.

Lindström told journalists at the embassy to mark the event that Sweden took over the EU presidency on July 1.

He said the EU handled the financial crisis situation well by supporting the banking system and a joint recovery plan. Sweden will need continuing crisis management as it starts to tackle long-term recovery.

Lindström also said the supervisory system for financial markets needs to be strengthened to ensure a similar crisis does not happen in the future and incentive systems must not reward irresponsible behavior.

Along with these, Sweden will put a priority on curbing the increasing unemployment, which has become a big challenge for EU countries, Lindström said. To counter the recession, the EU needs pro-active labor market policies in the short term to maintain employability and prevent long-term unemployment. The EU needs to reform, adapt and modernize in the long run by strengthening its innovation capacity and moving forward a low-carbon economy, he added.

He also said Sweden will push a review of the EU's Lisbon Strategy so that a new one can be adopted in 2010.

As for combating climate change, Lindström said he hoped an international climate agreement can be reached in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December with details of financing arrangements as well as ways of transferring technology. He said both industrialized and developing countries should increase their efforts in reducing green house gas emissions.

He mentioned that China has been actively cooperating with Sweden and the EU in this field. Next week, a delegation led by the Swedish Minister of Environment will hold discussions with high-profile Chinese officials, including Vice Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission Xie Zhenhua and Vice Premier Li Keqiang, he said. And during the rest of the year, a series of seminars concerning management of the economic crisis and climate change will be held in Chinese cities, including Beijing, Hangzhou and Chongqing.

The ambassador also introduced other issues that Sweden will attach importance to, including constitutional reform of the EU and more cooperation in justice and home affairs among EU countries.

EU member states take turns in presiding over the European Council. The presidency rotates every six months. The two previous are the Czech presidency in the first half of 2009 and the French presidency in the second half of 2008. Spain and Belgium will preside in 2010 following Sweden.

(China.org.cn July 9, 2009)