The World Affairs Council of Charlotte invites you to a WACC Ambassadors Circle Series lunch with H.E. Urban Ahlin, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States, on Thursday, November 6, 2025.

Ambassador Urban Ahlin will offer valuable insight into the evolving political and security landscape of Europe, the Nordic region, and the broader transatlantic alliance. He will discuss Sweden’s historic decision to join NATO, the significance of that move for regional and global security, and how it reflects Sweden’s deepening commitment to collective defense in the face of mounting geopolitical uncertainty.

With global attention centered on the war in Ukraine, rising tensions with authoritarian regimes, and urgent calls for climate leadership, Ambassador Ahlin will explore how Sweden is navigating these challenges through diplomacy, multilateral engagement, and its role as a bridge between Europe and North America.

He will also address Sweden’s foreign policy priorities, including democratic governance, sustainability, innovation, and international cooperation. This timely and thought-provoking program will shed light on Sweden’s strategic partnership with the United States, its contributions to global peace and stability, and the values that underpin its global engagement, offering attendees a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the complex developments shaping the international order today.

 

 

Private Reception Sponsorship and Underwriting Information – DOWNLOAD LINK

WACC Ambassadors Circle Series Sponsorship and Underwriting Information – DOWNLOAD LINK

Program Information: 

Date: Thursday,  November 6, 2025
VIP Reception: 11:30 – 12:00 PM
Lunch & Presentation: 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Location: Charlotte City Club
Cost: $55 (WACC Member Rate) | $75 (Non-Member Rate) | $40 (Young Professionals of the WACC Member) | $35 (WACC Student Member / Teacher Member)

  • For non-online payments, please call 704-687-7762
  • Mail your check to (World Affairs Council of Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., CHHS 227, Charlotte, NC 28223)

 

 

 

Biography: 

His Excellency Urban Ahlin has been the Ambassador of Sweden to the United States since September 2023. Ambassador Ahlin most recently served as Sweden’s Ambassador to Canada. Prior to that, he was a member of the Swedish Parliament, representing the Social Democratic Party. Following the 2014 parliamentary election, Ambassador Ahlin was elected Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Sveriges Riksdag, for the period 2014-2018. Ambassador Ahlin first became a member of Parliament in 1994. Since then, he has worked on foreign policy in numerous capacities. He was Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs between 2002 and 2006, and later Deputy Chair from 2006 to 2014. He has also been a member of the War Delegation, the Swedish Defence Commission, and a member of the Committee on European Affairs. As part of his work for the Social Democratic Party, Ambassador Ahlin served as the party’s Foreign Policy Spokesperson and has also been a member of the party’s Executive Board. In addition, Ambassador Ahlin is one of the founding members of the first pan-European think-tank, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), which was established in 2007. Ambassador Ahlin is a teacher and graduated from the University of Karlstad with a Master of Science. He is married and has two daughters.