Cassis holds talks with North Korean ministers in Pyongyang
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis met his North Korean counterpart Choe Son Hui and ruling-party official Jo Yong Won during a two-day visit to Pyongyang. The completed talks covered restoring political dialogue and security on the Korean Peninsula. Cassis then continued to South Korea, following Switzerland’s return to a permanent diplomatic presence in the North.
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Cassis meets Choe and ruling-party official Jo
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis completed a two-day visit to Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, on October 30. He met Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Jo Yong Won, a secretary of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party’s Central Committee. Cassis said the discussions concerned regularising political relations and restoring political dialogue. The meetings were the first visit by a Swiss foreign minister since Micheline Calmy-Rey travelled to North Korea in 2003.[1]
Talks cover security on the Korean Peninsula
Cassis said he also exchanged views with his North Korean counterpart on security on the Korean Peninsula. Switzerland’s foreign ministry described an effort to advance political dialogue amid heightened tensions and limited communication channels in the region. Cassis continued to South Korea after the visit, with his Seoul talks scheduled to address peninsula security, prospects for easing tensions and bilateral relations.[1], [2]
Diplomatic office supports renewed direct contact
During the trip, Cassis attended the formal reopening of Switzerland’s diplomatic office, which had resumed operations on October 19 after closing in March 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. The office reports to Switzerland’s embassy in Beijing, retaining diplomatic and consular responsibility there. Bern says the local presence will strengthen direct contacts with North Korean authorities.[1]
