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Switzerland welcomes arrival of Iranian delegation for talks with US

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Switzerland welcomes arrival of Iranian delegation for talks with US

2026-06-21 10:45 Last Updated At:11:37

An Iranian delegation landed in Switzerland late on Saturday for talks with the United States at the Burgenstock resort to halt the conflict in the Middle East.

"We welcome the arrival of the Iranian delegation in Switzerland," the Swiss foreign ministry said on X, adding that the Iranian delegation is on its way to the Burgenstock resort as part of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the United States and Iran.

Meanwhile, according to Iran's state-run IRIB TV, the Iranian negotiating delegation, codenamed "Minab 168," has arrived in Switzerland.

The negotiating team includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, and Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Bagheri Kani.

Earlier on Saturday, Switzerland said that it continues to provide a "discreet and reliable setting" to facilitate talks at the Burgenstock resort on the implementation of the MoU between the United States and Iran.

The initial negotiations on the implementation of the interim peace deal between the two sides were scheduled for Friday but were later postponed.

Meanehile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has departed Washington for Switzerland on Saturday for talks with Iran.

"I think we're going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we're to be focused on," Vance told reporters before his departure.

"I can only be there for a day or two," Vance said.

Furthermore, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also left for Switzerland to participate in the technical-level talks as a follow-up to the recently signed U.S.-Iran MoU, the Prime Minister's Office said on Saturday on social media.

The prime minister and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will participate in the talks in Burgenstock, said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

Switzerland welcomes arrival of Iranian delegation for talks with US

Switzerland welcomes arrival of Iranian delegation for talks with US

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 956, including 247 deaths, according to the latest situation report released Saturday by the country's health authorities.

Twenty-three new confirmed cases, including two deaths, were reported Friday in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. Ituri remains the epicenter of the outbreak, with 874 confirmed cases and 201 deaths, accounting for more than 91 percent of the country's confirmed cases.

A total of 92 patients have recovered, while 361 patients were in isolation or hospitalized.

The report also said 162 suspected cases were identified during the day, while the contact-tracing rate stood at 69.3 percent, below the 95-percent target set by health authorities.

At a press briefing Friday evening, DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba said the outbreak remained in an upward phase, with more confirmed cases expected as response teams expanded active case-finding and moved deeper into affected communities.

Kamba added that the authorities will only be able to say that the outbreak has reached its peak, plateaued, or begun to decline once the weekly figures have stabilized or begun to fall. For now, he said, efforts to detect cases, isolate and treat patients, and strengthen community engagement must continue.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, was declared by the DRC authorities on May 15.

DR Congo reports 956 confirmed Ebola cases, 247 deaths

DR Congo reports 956 confirmed Ebola cases, 247 deaths

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