Swedish PM appoints new foreign minister

Prime Minister Goran Persson appointed Laila Freivalds as Sweden's new foreign minister yesterday to replace Anna Lindh, who was stabbed to death last month while out shopping in central Stockholm.

Born in 1942 in Riga, Ms Freivalds had been justice minister in 1988-1991 and 1994-2000. A lawyer by education, she is married and has a teenage daughter.

She was forced to step down from her post in 2000 after controversy over her purchase of a municipal apartment which she had been renting in Stockholm - a deal which did not contravene the law but which went against her Social Democratic party guidelines.

"Laila is an experienced politician," Mr Persson told a news conference. "She is also the one who reconciled Swedish domestic politics with the European Union."

"Her experience with EU cooperation and the tough questions that are coming up this autumn, convergence issues in particular, are further arguments which make me believe she will be a brilliant foreign minister," Mr Persson said.

Jan Karlsson, the temporary foreign minister appointed after Ms Lindh's death on September 11, will leave the government, Mr Persson said.