A woman has been killed in a knife attack on the Swedish Baltic Sea island of Gotland, where a meeting of the country's leaders is taking place.

As the Swedish police announced on Wednesday, the approximately 60-year-old woman was stabbed at lunchtime in the city of Visby and succumbed to her injuries.

A 33-year-old was arrested.

"I am sorry to report that a woman has died from her injuries," Gotland Police Chief Fredrik Persson said.

The 33-year-old man was arrested shortly after the incident.

The police chief declined to comment on a possible motive for the perpetrator.

However, the police assumed that the attack had nothing to do with Almedalen Week - the annual meeting in Visby in early July of Sweden's political and business leaders.

The Expressen newspaper reported that the suspect allegedly had links to the neo-Nazi group NMR, which investigators did not initially confirm.

Police Chief Persson said a number of questions arose.

After all, the attack took place at midday in the city center on a well-known square, where many people were at that time.