Frank Belfrage
Frank Kurt Claude Belfrage is a Swedish economist and diplomat who was state secretary for foreign affairs between 2006 and 2014, heading the Ministry for Foreign Affairs under then Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt. He was previously Permanent Representative of Sweden to the European Union from 1994 to 1999 and Ambassador of Sweden to France from 2001 to 2006.
Early life
Belfrage was born on 13 March 1942 in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of envoy and his wife Renée. His grandfather was the stock exchange director, his great-grandfather was the physician, and his uncle was the diplomat.Belfrage graduated from the Stockholm School of Economics in 1965.
Career
Belfrage served as an attaché at the Swedish Embassy in Vienna in 1966 and as embassy secretary at Sweden's UN representation in New York City in 1968. In 1971, he became a desk officer at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and was appointed director there in 1975. He served as trade counselor at the Swedish Embassy in London in 1977 and was promoted to minister there in 1981. In 1984, he became ambassador to Riyadh, Muscat, and Sanaa. He later served as ambassador at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, heading the bilateral trade unit from 1987 to 1988, followed by leading the Western Europe unit from 1988 to 1991. From 1991 to 1994, he was state secretary at the ministry's trade department. He then served as Permanent Representative of Sweden to the European Union in Brussels from 1994 to 1999 before becoming director general for EU affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1999.Belfrage later served as ambassador to Paris from 2001 to 2006 and as state secretary for foreign affairs from 2006 to 2014.
Personal life
Belfrage married 1978 to Helena Östberg, the daughter of Jan Erik Östberg and Britta.Belfrage was part of the 2016 SVT documentary Springnotan revealing to the Swedish people how some of their political leaders hid money from tax authorities. Belfrage used a temporary tax amnesty, avoiding imprisonment, where his name was revealed.