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| Oscar Stenström |
Manila, Philippines – The head of Swedish business delegation
Oscar Stenström has raised concerns on human rights issues over the government’s
war on drugs.
Stenström, deputy minister of trade and European Union affairs,
raised the issues during his meeting with officials of the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) and also with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The Swedish business delegates were on a two-day visit in
Manila to offer and promote their products to the Philippine market.
“I have raised the issues of human rights, about the
possible reintroduction of capital punishment. The questions on human rights
and especially how law enforcement has been conducting the war on drugs concern
us. It’s an issue which I brought up with the government of the Philippines,” Stenström
said on his interview with Philstar on Thursday in Pasay City.
Stenström reiterated the concerns of the Swedish companies
operating in the Philippines about the development of the war on drugs.
“If they are concerned, we are concerned, and as I said we
have a very strong view on human rights, which I have explained to the
Philippine government that we disagree here. We would like to see improvement
and we are expecting improvement,” he said.
"I can only say that we have different views on the issue.
It’s very clear, the position of the Swedish government as well as the EU
Commission,” he added.
Earlier, Stenström also said that doing business with the
Philippines remained “complicated”.
He visited the Philippines offering transportation and air
traffic control as well as management solutions which are among the Sweden’s products
of expertise.
Though he raised concerns on the country’s human rights
issues when it comes to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, Stenström
also hopes that it can be addressed when Philippines and European Union has
finalized a free-trade agreement.
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