Switzerland is restoring its permanent diplomatic presence in North Korea and expanding direct contact with the government in Pyongyang, with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis scheduled to visit the country for political talks this week.

The Swiss diplomatic office resumed operations on Oct. 19, and Cassis is expected to attend its official reopening on Friday, Oct. 30. The move restores Switzerland’s permanent diplomatic representation in North Korea after the previous office closed in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, the office is intended to strengthen direct contact with North Korean authorities and promote political dialogue. The discussions will address security on the Korean Peninsula, broader geopolitical developments and the resumption of regular consultations between the two countries’ foreign ministries.

Cassis is scheduled to meet North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and a representative of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea. No meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been announced.

The diplomatic office will report to Switzerland’s embassy in Beijing, which retains responsibility for diplomatic and consular relations with North Korea. The arrangement gives Switzerland a permanent presence in Pyongyang without establishing a separate embassy with independent responsibility for bilateral relations.

Switzerland has maintained diplomatic relations with North Korea since 1974 and has participated in political dialogue with the country for decades. The renewed presence follows years in which North Korea largely isolated itself from foreign personnel and international engagement during the pandemic.

Swiss officials have described the reopening as part of the country’s longstanding efforts to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Switzerland has also participated in the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, which monitors the armistice that ended major fighting in the Korean War in 1953.

The renewed diplomatic engagement does not mean Switzerland is abandoning international sanctions against Pyongyang. The Swiss government says it continues to enforce United Nations sanctions, including restrictions related to North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

After his meetings in Pyongyang, Cassis is scheduled to travel to Seoul for discussions with South Korean officials. His itinerary places renewed diplomatic contact with North Korea alongside consultations with the South Korean government on the security situation in the region.

The reopening provides Switzerland with a direct diplomatic channel to North Korean authorities at a time when many Western governments have limited direct engagement with Pyongyang. Swiss officials have emphasized dialogue and regional stability while maintaining their commitments to international sanctions.