The Swiss Government announced this Thursday the reopening of its diplomatic mission in Pyongyang, capital of North Korea, coinciding with the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis, who took part in the official reopening ceremony.
"A new chapter for Switzerland’s presence in Pyongyang. Delighted to mark the official reopening of the Swiss diplomatic office", Cassis posted on his social media, accompanying the message with several images of the event.
The head of Swiss diplomacy hopes that this step will help strengthen direct contact with the North Korean authorities, after, during the coronavirus pandemic, the regime decided to strictly close its borders, which led to the closure of virtually all diplomatic missions and NGOs present in the country.
Cassis will remain in Pyongyang until this Friday, as part of a tour of the Korean peninsula that also includes a stop in Seoul, capital of South Korea. During his stay, he is expected to hold meetings with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Song Hui, as well as with representatives of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
The Swiss office in Pyongyang, which became inactive in March 2020 as a result of the COVID‑19 health crisis, is attached to the Swiss Embassy in Beijing, capital of China. The last time a member of the Swiss Government officially traveled to North Korea was in 2003.