Switzerland formally reopened its diplomatic office in Pyongyang, which had ceased operations in March 2020 due to the pandemic and has been running again since October 19. Ignazio Cassis met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and party official Jo Yong Won to discuss security issues and bilateral dialogue. Rather than functioning with an ambassador, the newly reopened post will report directly to the Swiss embassy in Beijing. Cassis subsequently traveled to South Korea to continue discussions on regional stability.
Key points
Switzerland restored its on-the-ground presence in Pyongyang to foster direct communicati…: Switzerland restored its on-the-ground presence in Pyongyang to foster direct communication and political engagement with North Korea.
High-level talks in Pyongyang covered political dialogue alongside pressing Eurasian and…: High-level talks in Pyongyang covered political dialogue alongside pressing Eurasian and Korean Peninsula security challenges.
Swiss engagement extends across the peninsula, building on more than 70 years of involvem…: Swiss engagement extends across the peninsula, building on more than 70 years of involvement, including its role on the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Switzerland formally reopens diplomatic office in North Korea after its closure in 2020.
Switzerland has formally reopened its diplomatic office in North Korea as Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis held talks in Pyongyang about normalising political relations between the two countries.
On Friday Cassis wrapped up a two-day visit to North Korea – the first by a Swiss government minister in more than two decades – in which he discussed “regularising political relations and reestablishing a political dialogue”, he wrote on X.
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Cassis, who is also Switzerland’s vice president, met Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Jo Yong Won, a secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party.
“We also exchanged views on security on the Korean Peninsula and broader Eurasian security challenges,” he added on X.
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