The Swedish state does not condone Koran burnings, foreign minister says

FILE PHOTO: Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom attends an informal meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of foreign affairs ministers during a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania July 11, 2023. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/FILE PHOTO

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The Swedish state does not sanction or condone Koran burnings but they are permitted by Swedish freedom of speech laws, Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said on Thursday.

"In some countries there is a perception that the Swedish state is behind or condone this. We don't," Billstrom told reporters.