The World Affairs Council of Charlotte is honored to host a private dinner with H.E. Urban Ahlin, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States, on Thursday, November 6. This exclusive event offers a unique opportunity for in-depth conversation and thoughtful analysis of the critical issues shaping Europe and the transatlantic alliance today.
With global attention focused on security cooperation, climate leadership, the war in Ukraine, and rising geopolitical tensions, Ambassador Ahlin will share Sweden’s perspectives on diplomacy, defense, and international collaboration, including its recent accession to NATO. In an intimate setting, participants will gain firsthand insight into Sweden’s foreign policy priorities, democratic values, and strategic partnership with the United States, while engaging in meaningful dialogue that moves beyond headlines to explore the deeper motivations and implications of today’s most consequential global developments.
WACC Private Dinner Sponsorship Info – DOWNLOAD LINK
Program Information:
Date:
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Reception:
6:00 – 6:30 PM
Dinner and Discussion:
6:30 – 8:00 PM
Location:
TBD
Cost:
$150 (WACC Member Rate) | $175 (Non-Member Rate) — Limited to 24 people.
Includes pre-dinner wine, salad, entrée, dessert, wine during dinner, and coffee service
For non-online payments, please call 704-687-7762 or mail your check to “World Affairs Council of Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., 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.