Swiss foreign minister meets Iranian counterpart
Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis met his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghtschi, ahead of Iran-United States peace talks at the Alpine resort of Bürgenstock.
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According to Tehran, the summit itself is scheduled to begin this afternoon.
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) had previously announced on its website that talks between the parties were due to begin later that morning.
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Cassis and Araghtschi held talks lasting around 45 minutes before the official start of the Lake Lucerne Summit between the US and Iran. The Iranian delegation, which arrived in Switzerland on Saturday evening, is led by the regime’s new strongman, speaker of parliament Mohammed Ghalibaf.
According to the spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry, Esmail Baghaei, who was quoted by the state news agency IRNA, the meeting is expected to last just one day.
Following bilateral talks between Iran and the two mediators, Qatar and Pakistan, the four-party meeting between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan is due to begin in the afternoon, he added.
Switzerland represents US interests in Iran. It is also responsible for security at the meeting in Nidwalden, deploying up to 2,000 soldiers and police officers, amongst other measures.
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Translated from German, sub-edited by mga
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