- PM Shebaz says discussions held in constructive atmosphere.
- PM departs Switzerland after completion of official visit.
- ‘Very good foundation’ laid for successful final deal: JD Vance.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday (tomorrow) following talks between Tehran and Washington in Switzerland, which were mediated by Islamabad, Iran’s state news agency IRNA said while quoting the president’s office.
Expressing appreciation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for “his mediation between Iran and the United States” is among the objectives of the visit, Habibollah Abbasi, director of public relations at the president’s office, said.
The United States and Iran made “encouraging progress” at the first round of talks aimed at reaching a final peace deal, mediators said on Monday, although tension persisted over Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz.
A joint statement from mediating nations Pakistan and Qatar said the US and Iran agreed to a roadmap towards a final deal within 60 days. Technical talks will continue for the rest of the week in the Qatari-owned Swiss mountain resort of Buergenstock, according to the statement, which was released by the Qatari foreign ministry.
They also agreed on a mechanism to end fighting in Lebanon between US ally Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah, and opened a communications line to help ensure safe passage for commercial ships through the strait, a vital global oil supply route.
The parties agreed to a mechanism to end the fighting in Lebanon and opened a communications line to help ensure safe passages for commercial ships through the contested strait, the statement said.
‘Great progress’
Tehran has agreed to invite International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back into the country, US Vice President JD Vance said Monday, after a first round of US-Iran talks towards ending the Middle East war.
“The Iranians have agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back into their country,” Vance told reporters at Switzerland’s Burgenstock resort, where his talks with Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf opened on Sunday.
“That is a major milestone for the American people and the first step in permanently denuclearising or permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran,” he said.
Vance said that a first round of US-Iran talks in Switzerland had laid a good foundation for reaching a final deal on ending the Middle East war.
“We laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal,” Vance told reporters at the Burgenstock resort in central Switzerland, following negotiations that started on Sunday and went on into the night.
“The final deal is the house. We set the foundation; we haven´t built the house, but we´ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.
“It´s important for all of us to appreciate how much was done, but honestly, there is still a lot to do as we continue to make progress on the nuclear talks, on the economic talks, as we continue to demine the straits and ensure that the flow of traffic continues to pick back up.
“A lot of progress but still some work to do — and we’re very committed to doing exactly that.”
‘Constructive atmosphere’
“The discussions were held in a positive and constructive atmosphere and yielded encouraging progress,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X, adding that the first round of talks had “concluded successfully”.
In a statement, the prime minister said the discussions were conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere and resulted in encouraging progress.
Key outcomes included an agreement on a roadmap towards a final deal within 60 days, the establishment of a High-Level Committee to provide political oversight, and the initiation of further technical-level talks.
Pakistan, he said, would continue to play an honest and sincere role in promoting dialogue and diplomacy aimed at achieving a peaceful and lasting resolution.
PM Shehbaz commended the leadership of both the United States and Iran for their continued commitment to constructive engagement.
He also thanked friendly and brotherly countries for their support in advancing what he described as a historic diplomatic process.
The prime minister expressed special gratitude to Qatar for its critical role in creating conditions that enabled the negotiations to move forward.
He also thanked the Swiss government for facilitating and hosting the talks.
The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting diplomatic initiatives that contribute to regional and international peace and stability
The prime minister also departed for Pakistan after concluding his visit to Switzerland.
At Zurich Airport, senior Swiss officials and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Marghoob Saleem Butt, bid farewell to the prime minister, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
— With additional input from AFP and Reuters
