Switzerland Plans to Reopen Diplomatic Office in North Korea, Emphasizes Need to Strengthen Political Dialogue

Geneva -- Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis announced on Friday his country’s intention to open a diplomatic office in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, in order to maintain direct political communication channels. The announcement came in a post by Cassis on his X (formerly Twitter) account following his meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui during his visit to Pyongyang, during which he confirmed that the talks addressed the normalization of political relations and the re-establishment of political dialogue between the two countries. Cassis clarified that the objective of opening the diplomatic office is to support Switzerland’s good offices efforts, emphasizing the necessity of enhancing dialogue as a fundamental element for achieving peace and stability in the region. He added that the two sides exchanged views on security conditions on the Korean Peninsula and broader security challenges in the Eurasian region. In a separate post, the Swiss Foreign Minister announced his visit to the South Korean capital, Seoul, to discuss bilateral relations, regional security, and opportunities to enhance dialogue. Switzerland had opened a cooperation office in Pyongyang in 1997, focusing on humanitarian aid, but these programs were suspended since March 2020 following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and North Korea’s imposition of isolation measures that prevented foreign staff from entering the country. Relations between Switzerland and North Korea date back to 1953, when the United Nations Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (UNNSC) appointed Switzerland to monitor the armistice demarcation line separating the two Koreas after the end of their war, a mission that marked the first external deployment of the Swiss Armed Forces, according to the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs website. Switzerland established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1974 and hosted in Geneva from 1997 to 1999 four-party talks bringing together the two Koreas, China, and the United States, along with three other important meetings between Washington and Pyongyang that addressed the normalization of bilateral relations and paved the way for resuming six-party talks on denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. (End) A.M.K. / M.A.A.