Switzerland's new top envoy to North Korea began official duties after presdenting his credentials on Thursday.

According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA), Jurg Burri, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the North, submitted his credentials to Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the standing committee of the Supreme People's Assembly.

Switzerland does not have an embassy in North Korea, and its ambassador to China concurrently serves as the envoy to the North.

Last month, the two countries held an event at the North Korean Embassy in Switzerland to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

News of the Swiss envoy's official duty comes after Sweden and Poland became the first two Western countries to reopen their respective embassies in the North last year following the regime's pandemic lockdown.