Sten Ask

Sten Sture Ask (born 22 January 1943) is a retired Swedish diplomat. After earning a Bachelor of Arts from Stockholm University in 1969, he joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1970. During the 1970s he combined government service with local and regional political roles in Nynäshamn and the Stockholm County Council. In 1980 he began an international diplomatic career, serving at Sweden's delegation to the OECD in Paris and at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City.

He later held senior diplomatic posts including chargé d'affaires in Vientiane (1984–1987) and minister at the Swedish embassy in Vienna and Sweden's representation to the UN organizations in Vienna (1987–1992). After senior roles at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, he served as Sweden's ambassador to Bulgaria from 1998 to 2003. From 2004 to 2010 he was Sweden's ambassador-at-large for the Caribbean region, accredited to several countries including Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.

Early life Ask was born on 22 January 1943 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of Carl Ask and his wife Vanda (née Kaufelt). He grew up at Fredsgatan 11 in Nynäshamn with his parents and siblings during the 1940s and 1950s.

Ask received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stockholm University in 1969, was a doctoral student in economics at the Stockholm School of Economics from 1969 to 1970, minister with special duties at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1994, and director (departementsråd) at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1998.

In 2004, Ask was appointed ambassador-at-large for the countries in and around the Caribbean Sea, while remaining based at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm. From 2004 to 2010, he served as ambassador to Port-au-Prince, Santo Domingo, St. George's, Castries, Kingstown, Kingston, Roseau, Basseterre, Bridgetown, St. John's, Georgetown, and Port of Spain. Alongside this assignment, Ask also headed the Secretariat for the Dag Hammarskjöld Centenary in 2005.

His final years as ambassador before retirement were marked, among other things, by the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Together with Professor Mats Lundahl at the Stockholm School of Economics, he has written several articles about Haiti's future after the earthquake.

Personal life In 1985, Ask married licensed psychologist Cecilia Landahl (born 1949), the daughter of divisional director Lennart Landahl and Ulla (née Hansson).