BÜRGENSTOCK, Switzerland: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir arrived at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland on Sunday to participate in high-level technical talks on implementing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran .
The discussions mark the first formal engagement since the MoU was signed electronically on June 17, with representatives from the US, Iran, and Qatar also participating as mediators . The talks are expected to focus on advancing implementation of the understandings reached under the Pakistan-facilitated agreement .
US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday morning, joining US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who were already on the ground . The Iranian delegation is being led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accompanied by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials .
The talks were initially scheduled for Friday but were postponed due to escalating fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon . Negotiations mediated by Qatar and the US reportedly helped tamp down active hostilities, allowing the diplomatic process to resume .
Speaking before his departure, Vance said the talks could continue for “a couple of days,” adding that he hoped to make progress on both the nuclear issue and the Lebanon ceasefire . “Things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit,” Vance said, referring to the situation in Lebanon .
The Swiss government welcomed the arrival of the Pakistani delegation, stating that the talks would take place at the Bürgenstock resort . Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the country would continueto facilitate the process in its role as mediator, with a view to advancing the understandings reached under the Islamabad MoU
