Top Swiss diplomat to visit North, South Korea

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will visit North Korea and South Korea this week.

Cassis will visit North Korea from Thursday to Friday, where he will attend the official reopening of the Swiss diplomatic office in Pyongyang and hold political talks with North Korean officials, according to a statement.

The talks will focus on the resumption of bilateral consultations, the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and global geopolitical developments.

Switzerland is "one of the few Western countries to have maintained a political dialogue" with North Korea since 2003, the statement said.

Cassis will then travel to Seoul from Friday to Saturday to meet South Korean officials for talks on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, prospects for easing regional tensions and bilateral ties.

"Against a backdrop of heightened tensions and limited international contacts, Switzerland intends to continue its commitment in the region," the statement said.