The first round of high-level talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran achieved what was described as “encouraging progress” following the conclusion of the Lake Lucerne Summit and the inaugural meeting of the High-Level Committee, with Qatar and Pakistan participating as mediating countries.
According to a joint statement issued by Qatar and Pakistan, the first round of talks held under the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Islamabad concluded successfully. The discussions brought together representatives of the United States and Iran alongside the mediators and were hosted at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland.
The statement noted that the first day of the summit was marked by a positive and constructive atmosphere, with encouraging progress made, including the establishment of a mechanism to continue technical discussions.
It added that, in line with the Memorandum of Understanding, the parties agreed to establish a High-Level Committee responsible for providing political oversight of the mediation efforts. The chief negotiators will submit regular reports to the committee while also leading specialized working groups focused on the nuclear file and sanctions issues.
In addition, a follow-up and dispute-resolution working group was established to ensure the effective implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding and to address other related matters.
The statement further indicated that the High-Level Committee agreed on a roadmap aimed at reaching a final agreement within 60 days, paving the way for the immediate launch of a new round of technical negotiations.
The parties also agreed to establish a communication channel for the period specified in Paragraph Five of the Memorandum of Understanding in order to prevent incidents and misunderstandings and to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
Furthermore, the two sides agreed to create a de-escalation working group involving the United States, Iran, and Lebanon, facilitated by the mediators, with the objective of ensuring compliance with the cessation of military operations in Lebanon as stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding.
Technical talks are scheduled to continue throughout the remainder of the week at the Bürgenstock Resort, where all relevant issues will be discussed.
The statement affirmed that Qatar and Pakistan will continue exerting every effort to ensure that negotiations proceed in a constructive atmosphere and ultimately lead to a final agreement.
Doha and Islamabad also expressed their appreciation to the United States and Iran for their continued commitment to diplomatic solutions and their efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution to the dispute. They further praised sisterly and friendly countries for their ongoing support and contributions to the negotiations.
