Sweden’s Prime Minister Goran Persson welcomes new Foreign Minister Leila Freivalds, replacing late Anna Lindh, to a news conference in Stockholm. Photo by AP
Sweden's Prime Minister Goeran Persson appointed Friday former Justice Minister Laila Freivalds to replace Anna Lindh, Sweden's late foreign minister who was stabbed to her death while shopping at a department store in September. Freivalds, who was born in Latvia, was Sweden's justice minister from 1988 to 1991, and then again from 1995 to 2000. Laila is an experienced politician, Persson said, adding that her experience in the EU cooperation was another argument why she would be "an extraordinarily good foreign minister".