Switzerland reopens Pyongyang office to revive North Korea dialogue

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis is visiting North Korea this week for the reopening of Switzerland’s office in Pyongyang, as the country seeks to restart political dialogue, Swiss broadcaster SRF reports.

The office was previously run by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and provided humanitarian services. It closed in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The newly reactivated office will focus on political dialogue and report to the Swiss embassy in Beijing.

Thomas Fisler, who led the Swiss cooperation office in Pyongyang from 2013 to 2017, said Switzerland’s diplomatic relations with North Korea began in 1974 and strengthened during the famine of the 1990s, when Switzerland provided humanitarian aid. He said the assistance helped build trust because it was not politically motivated, and that humanitarian work and political dialogue opened doors for each other.

Fisler welcomed efforts to resume dialogue and maintain a presence in the country, but said the new office’s work would be limited without a humanitarian role or related budget. Travel would also be difficult, he said, adding that rebuilding trust would take time. He hopes humanitarian aid can be partly restored, particularly because it is badly needed for children in rural areas.

He said North Korea would weigh the benefits of renewed dialogue and closely watch public comments from the Swiss representative. Statements it considers unfavourable could further restrict the office’s room to operate.