Pyongyang:North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Pyongyang to discuss enhancing dialogue and cooperation between the two nations, as reported by North Korea's state media.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choe and Cassis engaged in talks during Cassis's two-day visit to North Korea, which commenced following the opening of Switzerland's first diplomatic office in Pyongyang. The discussions centered on promoting diplomatic dialogue and cooperation, as well as exchanging views on international issues of mutual interest.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) noted that the talks were conducted in a friendly atmosphere. North Korean officials, including Vice Foreign Minister Jong Tong-hak and Jo Chol-su, the country's top envoy to Switzerland, were present at the meeting.
In a separate report, the KCNA mentioned that Cassis also met Jo Yong-won, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, who is regarded as a close associate of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Following his visit to Pyongyang, Cassis traveled to Seoul, where he met with South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and Vice Foreign Minister Jeong Yeon-doo to discuss his engagements in North Korea. Switzerland, a member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, has maintained diplomatic ties with North Korea since 1974, operating a humanitarian cooperation office until its closure in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new diplomatic office in Pyongyang signifies Switzerland's first formal political presence in the country.