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Paul Johnston

Ambassador to Ireland

Part of UK in Sweden

23rd September 2013

Growth and trade on the agenda

Vince Cable, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, arrives today for a 2-day programme. How to secure growth, trade and reform in Europe is on his agenda.

The UK and Sweden are close European partners: like-minded on many issues, including a shared ambition to deepen and strengthen the Single Market and extend free trade as part of a liberal, outward facing and competitive EU.

The Secretary of State will attend a number of meetings with politicians and industry leaders: Jacob Wallenberg, Jan Björklund, Annie Lööf, Birgitta Ohlsson and Mike Putnam of Skanska, among others.

He will emphasise to top Swedish investors and stakeholders the UK’s pro EU, pro-reform agenda, and highlight the attractiveness of the UK as an investment destination and a dynamic, innovative, and business friendly destination for Swedish and other Nordic companies.

The visit includes lunch with Svenskt Näringsliv and a seminar with the Stockholm chamber of commerce and the Ohlin institute.

The visit will culminate with a site visit to the New Karolinska Hospital (NKS) in Solna, where there will be an official signing of contracts worth almost £30m, won by two British construction companies, Astins and Measom.

About Paul Johnston

Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, working for the Ministry of Defence initially. He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide…

Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, working for the Ministry of Defence initially.

He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide range of political and security roles in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Paul joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1993 as Desk Officer for Bosnia. As part of this role he was also Private Secretary to EU negotiator Lord Owen and his representative on Bosnia Contact Group.

His first foreign posting was to Paris in 1995-99 as Second Secretary Political. He was Private Secretary to the Ambassador and latterly part of the UK delegation to the Kosovo Rambouillet negotiations. Then he returned to London as Head of the Kosovo Policy Team, leading work on post-conflict policy in the EU, NATO, UN and G8.

Before his second overseas posting to New York in 2005, Paul held a variety of other EU policy and security appointments in London, such as Head of European Defence Section between 2000-01 and Head of Security Policy Department between 2002-04.

As Head of the Political Section in UKMIS New York, he advised on major policy issues for the UK on the Security Council and the UN World Summit, including the UK EU Presidency in 2005.

Paul returned to London in 2008 as Director, International Security for the FCO. He was responsible for policy on UN, NATO, European Security, arms control and disarmament, human rights and good governance.

Paul was British Ambassador to Sweden from August 2011 to August 2015 and then was Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO.

He was UK Ambassador to the EU for Political and Security affairs from 2017 to January 2020 and became Ambassador to Ireland in September 2020.

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Astins Business Innovation & Skills Measom New Karolinska Hospital Vince Cable