Switzerland is renewing direct talks with North Korea as tensions rise on the peninsula.
asserted
tensions → renew → peninsula
Seoul hopes the Swiss office will help it engage with Pyongyang.
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it → hop → Pyongyang
Switzerland has formally reopened its diplomatic office in North Korea as Ignazio Cassis became the first Swiss foreign minister to visit the country since 2003.
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Cassis → reopen → 2003
Cassis visited Pyongyang on 29 and 30 October before travelling to Seoul.
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Cassis → visit → Seoul
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Swiss foreign ministry said the trip aimed to restore direct political dialogue with North Korea as it looks to maintain contact with both sides of the divided peninsula.
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it → issue → peninsula
The office restarted operations on 19 October.
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office → restart → October
It falls under the Swiss embassy in Beijing, which remains responsible for diplomatic and consular relations with North Korea.
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which → fall → Korea
Switzerland’s previous office in Pyongyang handled humanitarian cooperation and closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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office → handle → pandemic
The two countries have maintained diplomatic relations since 1974, but regular political consultations stopped after 2019.
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consultations → maintain → 2019
Bern said the office would allow Switzerland to deal directly with North Korean authorities and follow developments in the region.
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Switzerland → say → region
During his visit, Cassis met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Jo Yong Won, secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee.
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Cassis → meet → Committee
His discussions with Choe covered restoring political dialogue, security on the Korean Peninsula and wider security challenges in Europe and Asia.
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discussions → cover → Europe
Speaking to Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS on Saturday, Cassis said he had offered Switzerland’s help in facilitating dialogue to ease tensions on the peninsula.
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he → speak → peninsula
He said the proposal appeared to have been well received.
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proposal → say → ?
Korea’s state news agency KCNA said on Saturday that the two ministers discussed diplomatic cooperation and international issues in a "friendly atmosphere."
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ministers → say → atmosphere
It did not provide a detailed account of the discussions.
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It → provide → discussions
Asked by Euronews whether the office could support wider European dialogue with Pyongyang, a Swiss foreign ministry spokesperson said the department had nothing to add to Saturday’s statement.
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department → ask → statement
Seoul hopes for renewed engagement
Cassis also made a trip to Seoul on 30 and 31 October, meeting National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and senior foreign ministry official Jeong Yeon-du.
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Cassis → hop → lac
He briefed Jeong on his Pyongyang talks.
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He → brief → talks
Jeong expressed hope that the Swiss office would help South Korea engage with the North, according to Seoul’s foreign ministry.
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Korea → express → ministry
The visit came amid renewed military tensions.
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visit → come → tensions
North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Thursday, according to South Korea’s military, a day after Seoul renewed its call for military talks to prevent accidental border clashes.
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Seoul → fire → clashes
In a separate statement on Sunday, South Korea’s foreign ministry said Foreign Minister Cho Hyun had urged support for dialogue between the two Koreas at a G20 meeting in Atlanta.
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Hyun → say → Atlanta
Switzerland has helped monitor the armistice that halted fighting in the Korean War since 1953 through the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, based at Panmunjom.
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that → help → Panmunjom
Cassis also met the head of the Swiss delegation to discuss the security situation.
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Cassis → meet → situation
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