The first hours of negotiations between Iran and the United States in Bürgenstock (Switzerland) to end the war in the Middle East have recorded “great progress,” said this Sunday the American vice president, JD Vance, who heads the North American delegation.

“We have already made great progress in the last few hours and I hope that we will make additional progress in the time scheduled for the talks,” he said in an appearance before the press together with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, and his counterpart of Qatar, Mohamed bin Abdulrahman, who participate as mediators.

Vance noted that this Sunday's meeting represents the beginning of a "technical negotiation" that "will not resolve all the discrepancies but will allow us to sit together, actually for the first time in history, to determine what is most important to the parties."

The goal set by US President Donald Trump, he added, is to “turn the page and transform our relationship with the Iranian people.”

“This is about extending an open hand that tells the Iranians that if their leaders are willing to stop being a factor in regional instability and renounce their long-term aspirations to obtain nuclear weapons, then the United States is determined to fundamentally transform its relationship with that country,” he added.

Regarding the situation in Lebanon, where Israeli attacks in recent days caused the Iranian delegation to delay its arrival in Switzerland for two days for negotiations, the vice president assured that there is also progress to guarantee the application of the ceasefire.

“Those things are always a little complicated,” he said, although he highlighted that if we compare the situation of the conflict in Lebanon with that of three months ago, “great progress has been made” and President Trump “has committed to achieving a complete ceasefire throughout the region.”

“Peace is never easy, it always requires a little work and a certain willingness to give in and receive, but the president of the United States is committed not only to peace with Iran, but to regional peace,” he assured.

The Pakistani prime minister, for his part, expressed his hope that the negotiations could produce a document “that promotes peace, progress and global prosperity,” while his Qatari counterpart pointed out that this Sunday's talks “are just the beginning,” so the celebrations must wait “until a definitive agreement is reached.” EFE