Diplomat Sven Hirdman dies aged 87

Former Swedish diplomat Sven Hirdman has died aged 87, SVT reports. “I am very proud of my brother,” his sister, Yvonne Hirdman, told SVT.

Hirdman was born in Stavanger in 1939. After military service at the Armed Forces Interpreter School and studies including Slavic languages and political science, he began a long career at Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

He served as counsellor at the Swedish embassy in Beijing from 1972 to 1976, ambassador to Israel from 1983 to 1987, and ambassador to Russia from 1994 to 2004.

Hirdman also served as state secretary at the Ministry of Defence in the 1970s and 1980s. He wrote several books on defence policy and was an active voice in public debate on the subject for many years. He died on Friday, October 9.