Göran Hasselmark

Per Göran Hasselmark (born 28 December 1936) is a Swedish diplomat who served in the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs for nearly four decades. After joining the ministry as an attaché in 1963, he held diplomatic postings in Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Dar es Salaam, and Maputo, where he played a key role in Sweden's relations with the Portuguese-speaking liberation movements in southern Africa and helped establish Sweden's embassy in newly independent Mozambique. He later served as ambassador to Zambia (1979–1983), Chief of Protocol at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (1983–1989), ambassador to Portugal (1989–1994), and ambassador to Australia (1994–2000), with concurrent accreditation to New Zealand. From 2000 to 2002, he was Sweden's ambassador-at-large for several countries in Oceania. As Chief of Protocol, he coordinated major state visits and organised the international aspects of Prime Minister Olof Palme's state funeral in 1986.

Early life Hasselmark was born on 28 December 1936 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of the business executive (1904–1975) and his wife, Karin (née Markström). His father worked in the restaurant industry, serving as vice chairman of the Stockholm Hotel and Restaurant Association from 1944 to 1953. He was also managing director and manager of several prominent Stockholm establishments, including , Operakällaren, Hotel Apollonia, and the .

Hasselmark graduated from the classical (Latin) programme at Östra Real on 1 May 1955. In August 1957, he completed the Swedish Air Force's training course in air surveillance and ground combat control for prospective reserve officers at F 20 in Uppsala, graduating top of his class. He received a Candidate of Law degree in 1962. He was appointed second secretary at Sweden's delegation to the OECD in Paris in 1964, and first secretary at the Swedish Embassy in Rio de Janeiro in 1966.

In 1969, Hasselmark returned to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as a desk officer (departementssekreterare). He was posted as first secretary to Dar es Salaam in 1973.

He served as counsellor and chargé d'affaires in Maputo from 1976, became a deputy director (kansliråd) at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1978, and was appointed ambassador to Lusaka in 1979, serving until 1983, In Zambia, he once again worked closely with southern African liberation movements, particularly those of Namibia and South Africa. Lusaka was home to the United Nations Institute for Namibia, which trained Namibians for future leadership roles. His time there combined political and development work, as Zambia was one of Sweden's largest recipients of foreign aid. Among the visits he organised were those of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia to Brazil in 1984, Egypt in 1986, Iceland in 1987, and New Zealand in 1989. Following the assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986, Hasselmark was responsible for organising the international aspects of Palme's state funeral. He then served as ambassador to Australia from 1994 to 2000. He was concurrently accredited to New Zealand between 1995 and 2000.

Personal life On 14 April 1960, Hasselmark became engaged to Ulrika von Stedingk, daughter of Baron Victor von Stedingk and his wife, née Nyholm, of Djursholm.

On 9 July 1965, he married the registered nurse and midwife Berit Lindborg-Guthrie (born 1938) in Paris, France. She was the daughter of the physician Bertil Lindborg and Maud (née Holmström). The ceremony was officiated by Sweden's ambassador to France.

Hasselmark had two children: his stepson, Neil (born 1960), and his adopted daughter, Martina (born 1978).

Awards

Filmography Benito Cereno (1969) as Captain Amaso Delano (credited as Georges Selmark)