WARSAW, Poland — Poland has announced the reactivation of its embassy in the capital of North Korea. This decision makes Poland the second Western country, following Sweden, to reopen its diplomatic operations that had been halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as confirmed by the country’s foreign ministry on Friday.

The restoration of diplomatic ties facilitates a line of communication between Poland, a member of NATO, and North Korea, which maintains a close relationship with Russia, a nation that has deployed troops in Ukraine.

This week, Polish diplomats visited the North Korean capital as part of efforts to reestablish their diplomatic presence in the country. The foreign ministry indicated that this visit serves both technical and political purposes, with a principal aim of reinstating a permanent diplomatic mission in North Korea.

Poland’s embassy had been shuttered since December 2020 when North Korean authorities declared a total closure of the country’s borders in response to the pandemic. This situation made it impossible for the embassy to carry out its normal functions, as stated by the foreign ministry.

In September, Sweden had already resumed activities at its diplomatic mission in North Korea, setting a precedent for other nations looking to restore their diplomatic presence in the isolated country.