Switzerland to play role in Iran-US peace: foreign minister

Iran-US agreement: Switzerland can play a role, says Mr Cassis Keystone-SDA

Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis insists that Switzerland has a role to play in the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States after the signing of a framework agreement in France.

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The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoM) on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Wednesday. This was initially scheduled to take place at the Bürgenstock resort in central Switzerland.

“We are, of course, delighted,” said Cassis as he attended a conference of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna.

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The MoM signing is “just a first step”, he added. “We will have to wait a few weeks to see if the ceasefire holds.”

The volatile situation between Lebanon and Israel also remains uncertain. But Switzerland can put its expertise to good use during the detailed discussions, said Cassis. Bern has represented US interests in Iran since 1979.

So far, Pakistan and Qatar have been key players in bringing about the agreement. The Strait of Hormuz is expected to reopen fully in the coming days. However, some key points have yet to be clarified.

This is the case with the nuclear issue. “We do not want Iran to have nuclear weapons. This point has not yet been resolved,” said Austrian foreign minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, who was taking part in a panel discussion alongside Cassis.

A ceremony to mark the the memorandum of understanding is scheduled for Friday at the Bürgenstock. It will be attended by Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, US Vice-President JD Vance and possibly US president Donald Trump.

The three men have already signed the document electronically, which is “very general” and runs to about “one and a half pages”, according to JD Vance. Both sides have given themselves two months to reach a final agreement.

Translated from French by AI/mga

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