Iran and the United States agreed to a roadmap toward a final deal within 60 days at the conclusion of their first high-level talks in Switzerland, mediators Qatar and Pakistan said Monday.
The first session under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding ended in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, with representatives from Iran, the United States and the two mediating parties, Qatar and Pakistan, according to a joint statement.
Iran’s delegation has concluded the discussions and is returning to Tehran, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a separate statement.
The talks, known as the Lake Lucerne Summit, were held in a “positive and constructive atmosphere” and produced encouraging progress, including a mechanism for further technical talks, the joint statement said.
The parties agreed to establish a High Level Committee to provide political oversight of the mediation, the statement said.
Chief negotiators will report regularly to the committee and lead working groups on nuclear issues, sanctions, and a monitoring and dispute resolution group to ensure the memorandum is carried out, according to the statement.
The committee agreed on a roadmap to reach a final deal within 60 days and to begin further technical talks immediately, the statement said.
Iran’s statement set out conditions for moving to a final deal. Baqaei said the start of negotiations for a final agreement depends, under paragraph 13 of the memorandum, on beginning and continuing the implementation of paragraphs 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11.
He said the basis of the process is “commitment for commitment,” and that Iran would monitor the other side’s compliance and use all its levers to ensure those commitments are met.
The basis of the process is commitment for commitment. — Esmaeil Baqaei, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson
The parties formed a communication line, under paragraph 5 of the memorandum, to avoid incidents and miscommunication and to allow safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, the joint statement said.
They also agreed to create a de-confliction cell involving the parties and Lebanon, facilitated by the mediators, to ensure that military operations in Lebanon stop as set out in the memorandum, according to the statement.
Baqaei said that agreement, tied to paragraph 1, covers a halt to war and military operations in Lebanon by what he called the “Zionist regime” through a conflict-control mechanism with the parties and Lebanon. He said paragraphs 10 and 11, covering Iranian oil and petrochemical exports and the release of Iran’s frozen assets, would help advance reciprocal commitments.
The Iranian discussions focused on paragraphs 1, 5, 10 and 11 and began Sunday morning in Switzerland, continuing into the early hours of Monday, Baqaei said. The memorandum is aimed at ending the war.
Technical talks will continue at the Bürgenstock resort for the rest of the week on all issues, the joint statement said.
Qatar and Pakistan thanked the United States and Iran for their commitment to diplomacy and a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and commended other countries for supporting the negotiations. The statement was issued in Lucerne on June 22.
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
