Swedish foreign minister Wallström holds first meeting with US ambassador to UN Haley

Sweden's foreign minister Margot Wallström held her first meeting with the US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in New York. The American diplomat has been touted as a future candidate for top positions in the Trump administration including secretary of state.

Published: 31 October 2017 08:15 CET

Swedish foreign minister Wallström holds first meeting with US ambassador to UN Haley

Margot Wallström and Nikki Haley. Photo: Us mission to the UN/TT

The discussion centred on children in armed conflicts, an issue both countries are concerned with and one that will be debated by the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

“We agreed that we should find a way to cooperate over the question of children in armed conflict. It's something I got the impression she feels very strongly about,” Wallström told Swedish news agency TT.

They also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and South Sudan, as well as other issues relevant to the Security Council agenda:

“Haley is a strong and constructive voice in the USA and she feels very strongly about what she does. It was nice to meet her”.

Good meeting w/ @nikkihaley at @USUN. Discussions on collab in #UNSC, especially on Children and Armed Conflict ahead of tomorrow's debate. pic.twitter.com/IYaL9sofnF

— Margot Wallström (@margotwallstrom) October 30, 2017

Haley took up her position in January, and there has been speculation about her political ambitions, including that she aims to be secretary of state.

Wallström said she would like to have a good relationship with the diplomat going forward:

“This was a good meeting in the sense that we could get to know each other a bit and speak about what is closest to her heart, and also a little about what our priorities are, without going into detail”.