At Tuesday’s historic meeting, in which the United States mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon for the first time in more than 30 years, neither side got what they wanted — but the talks are still being touted as a resounding success.

A joint statement by all three parties laid out what each one brought to the table.

Israel said it wanted to see all terror groups and their infrastructure in Lebanon dismantled. It said it would work with Lebanon’s government to achieve that goal — and thereby security for both their peoples. And it expressed its commitment to continue direct, open negotiations with Lebanon toward that end.

Lebanon demanded a cessation of all hostilities. It laid out “the principles of territorial integrity and full state sovereignty” and called for a ceasefire and aid to alleviate the humanitarian crisis that has gripped the country since the war started.

The United States expressed its support of the Lebanese government’s “plans to restore the monopoly of force and to end Iran’s overbearing influence” and its hope for a full-fledged peace deal. It affirmed its complete backing for Israel’s right to defend itself and insisted that any deal must be “brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track.”

So why is everyone praising the talks?

In the statement, the U.S. congratulated both sides, who have officially been at war since 1948 and hold no diplomatic ties, for agreeing to the talks in the first place. It praised the two countries for committing to future talks and said that such talks can unlock massive potential to create business investments and aid in the reconstruction of Lebanon and its economic recovery.

Speaking to reporters after the talks, Israel’s ambassador, Yechiel Leiter, said, “We discovered today that we are on the same side of the equation. That’s the most positive thing we could have come away with.”

So neither side got what they demanded — but all sides believe these talks signal a historic shift toward peace between Lebanon and Israel.