After meetings with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem on Monday, Ann Linde visited the West Bank on Tuesday.
The message from the Israelis was that Israel and Sweden "turn the page" after several years of diplomatic cold.
Linde now met with President Mahmoud Abbas, Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki and Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh in the Palestinian Authority's capital, Ramallah.
- I informed that our relationship with Israel is now normalized.
They welcome it and hope that Sweden can take a more active role now in starting a dialogue that will lead to negotiations, which will eventually provide a two-state solution, she says.
No elections since 2006
Ann Linde explains that she assured the Palestinians that Sweden's recognition of Palestine as an independent state is firm.
Among other things, Linde also emphasized the importance of holding national elections, upholding human rights and freedom of expression, and continuing the fight against corruption.
Following the death of Yassir Arafat in 2004, Mahmud Abbas was elected in March 2005 to succeed him for a term of five years.
Since then, Abbas has continued to rule despite no presidential election.
Nor has the parliament elected in 2006 been renewed.
Only local elections have been arranged.
Abbas announced in April this year that the planned elections in May would be postponed.
According to the president, it is crucial that the Palestinians living in East Jerusalem can participate in holding elections.
TT: What was the message now?
- They say that as soon as Israel accepts that the Palestinians in East Jerusalem can vote, then elections will be held within three months, Ann Linde says.
"Very problematic"
At the same time, the Swedish Foreign Minister does not think that the issue of elections can continue to rest in the hands of the Israelis.
- You have to find ways to hold elections regardless, maybe take it in sequences.
We discussed various possibilities.
If the consequences are that the whole of Gaza and the whole of the West Bank are not allowed to vote, then it will be very problematic.
The Palestinian leaders spoke positively about the new Israeli government, according to Linde.
Abbas mentioned, for example, the visit of Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz in August, which was the first meeting at that level in several years.