TEL AVIV - The Swedish Stock Exchange's ("SSE") management group OMX has canceled a visit by an Israeli delegation scheduled for next week, Yedioth Ahronoth has learned. A senior Jerusalem official said the Swedes got "cold feet" at hosting an Israeli delegation, and said he believes they are not ready for Israeli companies to issue stock on the SSE. The group was to be headed by Industrialist Union General Director Yoram Blizovski and accompanied by representatives from eight venture capital companies, real estate and industry all interested in issuing stock abroad. They are considering the Swedish exchange due to its close proximity to relevant markets. Blizovski said he estimates that within three years, as many as five Israeli companies will have joined the Swedish market. 'They'd prefer we sell them oranges' The Swedish Stock Exchange, under private ownership, is the third largest in Europe, with 500 companies listed and a daily trading volume of about USD 2 billion. Recently, an SSE director in charge of international operations for OMX, Johann Karlsson, visited Israel in a bid to sell technology developed by OMX to Israel's Stock Exchange. Karlsson said the Swedish economy is looking for new investors and is interested in Israeli companies. However, Israeli officials estimate that internal pressure at OMX, due to political reasons, is the main reason for next week's cancellation. "The Swedes apparently prefer we sell them oranges and avocados for them to boycott when they feel like it, rather than to welcome Israeli companies into the Swedish Stock Exchange," one official said.