Lake Lucerne Summit: Sharif praises Iran’s de-escalation as MoU talks continue

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iranian delegates showed restraint and tried to ease tensions. Sharif spoke to reporters at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock. The meeting brought together US, Iranian, Qatari and Pakistani teams. The talks are being called the Lake Lucerne Summit and are linked to a new Memorandum of Understanding.

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The quadrilateral format placed the US and Iran as main parties. Pakistan and Qatar acted as mediators during the discussions. The talks aimed to carry out key parts of an MoU signed last week. US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed it, with Sharif signing as a guarantor.

Lake Lucerne Summit talks on MoU and de-escalation

Sharif said the Iranian leadership wanted stability in the region. "I think they genuinely mean to promote peace in the region,\" Sharif said. Sharif added, \"So does President Trump.\" Sharif also said Trump was a man of peace. Sharif linked that view to the war between Pakistan and India.

Trump has repeatedly said Washington helped end the India-Pakistan conflict. Trump has pointed to May 10 last year as a key moment. On that date, Trump posted that both sides agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire. Trump described it as the result of a long night of talks mediated by Washington.

Sharif also spoke about future ties with Washington. Sharif said Pakistan looked forward to renewed friendship with the US. Sharif hoped this would become close coordination and cooperation between both countries. Sharif made these comments while standing with US and Qatari leaders before the talks.

Lake Lucerne Summit reactions from Trump and US officials

As the discussions began, Trump posted a warning on Truth Social. \"Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they dont, well hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!\" Trump tied the threat to unrest in Lebanon, a core issue in the talks.

In a Fox News interview, Trump also spoke about the Strait of Hormuz. Trump warned about the risks of any closure of the waterway. Trump said he had a range of options available. The remarks came as negotiators sought movement on security and regional flashpoints.

US Vice President J D Vance said progress needed compromise. \"This is a historic meet. Never before have Iranian and American leadership met at such a high level outside of Islamabad,\" he said. Vance said the meeting opened a technical negotiation track. Vance said it would not end every dispute.

\"What today really represents is the beginning of a technical negotiation thats not going to solve every disagreement, but is going to allow us to sit together as teams, for the first time really in history, to figure out what matters most to the respective parties, to settle those issues, to solve those issues, and get to a better tomorrow,\" he said.

\"The reason why the political leadership of the respective countries is here is because we wanted to, first of all, set up the structure for these technical negotiations, and second of all, make sure that our teams have our full support and know they can always call on us to break through any barriers.\"

Vance thanked Trump and said work had already moved forward. Vance said the team wanted to see what more could be done together. \"Can we change relations in the Middle East, or do we go back to doing things the old way?\" he said. Vance described a future with regional cooperation.

Lake Lucerne Summit focus on ceasefire, Iran nuclear ambitions, and mediators

Vance said Trump supported a full regional ceasefire, including Lebanon. Vance said ceasefires often stayed messy in practice. Vance said there was progress over the last few days. Vance also set out a US position on Iran’s nuclear aims and future ties.

\"If Iran is willing to give up nuclear weapon ambitions for the long term, the US is willing to transform relations with them,\" Vance said. Vance said Trump wanted a new approach with Iranians. Vance said Trump urged him to \"turn over a new leaf\" and \"extend an outstretched hand.\"

Vance also thanked Pakistan’s leadership and military command. \"I have joked that I have two very, very important people in my life. An Indian and a Pakistani. The Indian is my wife, and the Pakistani is Field Marshal Munir,\" he said. Vance said he spoke to Field Marshal Munir often in recent months.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani also addressed the opening. Al Thani thanked US and Iranian delegates for efforts towards peace. \"I think that everyone of you has highlighted how important and historic this is, not only on the security of the region but also for the security of the world and for the global economy,\" the Qatari PM said.

Earlier, Sharif met both sides separately away from the main table. Vance led the US delegation in these engagements. Iran’s side was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Photos shared on X by Sharif’s office showed handshakes in separate meetings with both delegations.

Before the evening talks started, Sharif spoke to the press with Vance and Al Thani. Sharif praised Trump and Iranian leaders during the remarks. Sharif also praised Pakistan’s Army chief Munir, who travelled with him. Munir appeared during meetings with Washington and Tehran delegates.

\"I think here we are going to have wonderful discussions which will lead to, hopefully, very productive results in times to come,\" Sharif said. Sharif also said, \"Hopefully when we go back to our homes, well have some wonderful paper in our hand which will promote peace, progress and prosperity around the globe.\"

The MoU opened a 60-day window for negotiations tied to West Asia. Key areas included Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions on Iran. The agenda also included Israel’s offensive in Lebanon. Technical talks were due to start on Friday, but slipped after fresh firing between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

With inputs from PTI