Swiss foreign minister meets US VP Vance amid U.S.-Iran talks

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on the sidelines of U.S.-Iran peace talks held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland. The discussions, which also involved mediator states Qatar and Pakistan, centered on achieving full implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed between the U.S. and Iran. This agreement is intended to end a four-month conflict.

According to a statement from the Swiss foreign ministry, Cassis and Vance exchanged views on the negotiations. The ministry emphasized that the implementation of the memorandum is "essential for peace and stability in the Middle East." Switzerland has maintained a diplomatic mediation mandate between Iran and the U.S. for nearly half a century, since official ties between the two nations were severed following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

During his time at the Bürgenstock resort, located on the shores of Lake Lucerne, Cassis also engaged in separate bilateral meetings. He met with Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, and Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif. Additionally, Cassis held a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman on Friday, the day originally scheduled for the start of the negotiations.

The Iranian delegation had initially postponed its trip to Switzerland in protest against Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. Iran viewed these attacks as a violation of the first point of the memorandum, which called for an immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities on all fronts.

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is essential for peace and stability in the Middle East