Swedish diplomats have returned to work at the country’s embassy in North Korea, according to Stockholm’s foreign ministry, making Sweden the first Western country to resume operations in the DPRK since most diplomats left during the pandemic.

The Swedish Embassy had continued limited operations with local staff but without Swedish diplomats in Pyongyang since 2020, and their arrival marks a significant step toward a wider return of Western diplomats to the DPRK.

“As of today, Swedish diplomats are back in Pyongyang,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statementon Friday. “They can now begin work on resuming regular activities