On 19 June, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on which they had been working for months. The venue chosen for the initial implementation talks was the Bürgenstock, in the canton of Nidwalden, Switzerland – the same hotel where, in 2024, an attempt was made to draw up a roadmap for Ukraine.
This time, the negotiations have made more progress. Both delegations, with Pakistan and Qatar acting as mediators, agreed on specific mechanisms to stabilise Lebanon and ensure the free passage through the Strait of Hormuz. In the days that followed, technical talks on the implementation of the agreement continued. Switzerland acts as a ‘facilitator’; in other words, it does not negotiate the substance of the agreement but creates the logistical and diplomatic conditions to enable others to do so. This has been its traditional role for generations: neither an ally of any particular party nor an enemy of any, and with a reputation for neutrality that few countries can offer to both sides at a difficult negotiating table.
The funny thing is that many people who live here are surprised that Switzerland plays this role. But it is entirely consistent with what this country is: discreet, stable, with a vast diplomatic network and the ability to host delegations from either side without compromising anyone. It’s not just for show. It’s a genuine role that Switzerland has been fulfilling since the 19th century, and it explains why Geneva is home to more international organisations than any other city in the world.
For those of us who live here, seeing the Bürgenstock back on the front page feels, in a way, astonishingly normal. This country doesn’t need grand gestures to be relevant. It is enough simply to be the place where others sit down to talk.