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Live Blog: Barack Obama's visit to Sweden

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Live Blog: Barack Obama's visit to Sweden

US President Barack Obama arrives in in Stockholm on Wednesday for his first visit to Sweden. Follow The Local's live blog for the latest news, reactions, and details of Obama's historic visit to the Swedish capital.

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Oliver Gee, 9.43am (via Twitter)

David Landes, 9.38am

Sveriges Television (SVT) is reporting that Air Force One has crossed into Swedish airspace.

David Landes, 9.36am

The US embassy here in Stockholm is very fired up about the arrival of President Obama, even posing a cardboard cut out of him around town in recent weeks (see the gallery here).

They also went around on the streets of Stockholm to ask Swedes about their thoughts on Obama:

David Landes, 9.32am

Just got off the phone with Oliver Gee out at Arlanda. Still about an hour or so before Air Force One touches down. The motorcade is assembling out on the runway. Check out his latest tweet:

David Landes, 9.20am (via Twitter)

So, what are Reinfeldt and Obama going to talk about? See what Damon Wilson, Executive Vice President of the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC has to say about the visit.

Oliver Gee, 9.13am (via Twitter)

David Landes, 8.24am

Good morning, and welcome to The Local's live blog of Obama's visit to Sweden. While many readers may just be starting their morning, journalists covering the visit (including The Local's own Oliver Gee) have been out at Arlanda airport since 7am.

Many of the roads in central Stockholm and my commuter train from the north suburbs was more crowded than usual, indicating that may Stockholmers have heeded warnings from police to leave their cars at home.

Obama arrives in Sweden at a sensitive moment for US foreign policy, with the US Congress indicating on Tuesday that they would support the president's request to carry out a military strike in Syria.

While Syria will be an unavoidable part of discussions between Obama and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, the president's visit to Sweden is meant to showcase the good relations between the two countries and highlight areas where the two countries see very much eye-toe-eye, such as free trade and sustainable energy.

Click here for a rundown of Obama's itinerary while in Sweden. And stay tuned. There will be plenty more to come

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