Rolf Sohlman

Rolf R:son Sohlman (24 October 1900 – 23 July 1967) was a Swedish diplomat who served as Sweden's ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1947 to 1964 and as ambassador to France from 1965 until his death. His career included diplomatic postings in several European countries, senior positions at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and extensive involvement in international trade negotiations. Sohlman began his career in 1924 with the Nansen Mission, where he worked on humanitarian relief in the Soviet Union, and subsequently served at the League of Nations' International Institute of Intellectual Cooperation. He joined the Swedish Foreign Service in 1927 and held assignments in Riga, London, Dublin, Warsaw, Rome and Paris. From the 1930s onwards, he was involved in Swedish trade policy and represented Sweden in negotiations with a number of European countries. During the Second World War, he took part in negotiations concerning Sweden's economic relations with both the Western powers and the Axis countries, as well as with the Soviet Union. In 1944, he was appointed head of the Trade Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and was given the rank of director-general for foreign affairs. In 1947, Sohlman was appointed Sweden's envoy to Moscow and was promoted to ambassador later that year. He remained in Moscow for seventeen years, during a period that included the establishment and development of the Cold War and several changes in Swedish-Soviet relations. During his tenure, he was involved in matters including the case of Raoul Wallenberg, the 1952 Catalina affair, Swedish-Soviet economic and political relations, and negotiations concerning Swedish diplomatic premises in Moscow. He also represented Sweden at several sessions of the United Nations General Assembly. During parts of his tenure in Moscow, he was concurrently accredited to Afghanistan, Romania and Bulgaria. Sohlman left Moscow in 1964...