Poland announced today that it will reopen its embassy in Pyongyang, North Korea, becoming the second Western country, after Sweden, to resume representation in the North Korean capital, which was suspended due to restrictions caused by Covid-19.
Poland and Sweden, both NATO members, are now the only Western countries with an active embassy in Pyongyang, which could open a channel of dialogue with the Asian communist regime, a close ally of Russia and which has provided troops to fight in Ukraine.
Representatives from the Polish Foreign Ministry were present in the North Korean capital this week. "The visit is of a technical and political nature and one of its main objectives is to re-establish a permanent diplomatic presence," the Polish ministry said.
The Polish embassy in North Korea was closed in December 2020 after North Korean authorities announced a complete closure of the borders due to the spread of Covid-19, a decision that made the work of diplomatic missions "impossible", the ministry said.
Sweden, which became a NATO member in March, represents, like Poland, the interests of other Western countries that do not have embassies in Pyongyang and resumed activity in the North Korean capital in September.
NATO and the European Union (EU) have been stepping up efforts to persuade China to persuade North Korea to stop sending troops and other support to Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine.
According to US, South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence services, around 12,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to the Russian border region of Kursk to fight Ukrainian forces.
NATO has said that Russia is sending missile technology to North Korea in exchange for this military support.
