Pakistan's foreign minister stated that no obstacles remain for the start of US-Iran talks in Switzerland, and expressed hope the negotiations will be completed within 60 days, according to reports.
Pakistan's foreign minister said on Friday that no obstacles remain to opening US-Iran talks in Switzerland, expressing hope the negotiations will conclude within 60 days, according to reports from the region. The statement, first reported by Pakistani state media, adds momentum to weeks of mediation efforts by Islamabad between Washington and Tehran.
As The Zioneer has reported previously, Pakistan's mediation track has seen a series of conflicting signals. Last Friday, Iran's deputy foreign minister conditioned any 60-day negotiation window on the release of frozen Iranian assets. On Sunday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said no negotiating team was traveling to Pakistan or Geneva in the near term.
The Pakistani minister's latest comments are the most optimistic in weeks, stating that an agreement on the format and framework for talks is close. A previous Zioneer report noted that the Pakistani premier said a 'final objective' was near in the talks. Whether this statement will translate into actual talks in Switzerland remains unconfirmed; no travel dates or Swiss confirmation have been reported.
2 developments
- DevelopingPakistan and Switzerland welcome progress toward US-Iran understanding
- StrongPakistan PM Sharif says 'final objective' near in Iran-US talks
- StrongIran deputy FM: 60-day talks with US only after frozen assets released
- StrongIran says Switzerland talks postponed, cites signed memo as reducing urgency
Source and signal
- Internal intake