Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Dar holds meetings in Istanbul — Dawn
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. The talks took place on the sidelines of R-4-format meetings and consultations with European diplomats, Dawn reports.
Talks with Turkey and Egypt
During the meeting with Fidan, Dar thanked Turkey for organizing the talks. The sides discussed bilateral relations and the regional situation, particularly in the Middle East and Palestine. They expressed concern over threats to regional stability and stressed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and coordinated efforts to maintain peace and security.
The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Turkey also condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and confirmed their intention to closely coordinate actions on regional issues, including within the framework of the Mecca Defense Agreement.
During talks with Abdelatty, the Pakistani and Egyptian ministers exchanged assessments of regional and international developments. They discussed the situation in Palestine and the Middle East, emphasizing the need for sustained dialogue and diplomatic efforts. The sides also agreed to intensify cooperation in trade, business ties, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, transport connectivity, renewable energy, defense and people-to-people contacts.
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R-4 format and European consultations
The R-4 group includes Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The group, which was formed in March, focuses on regional security and mediation efforts between the United States and Iran.
Dar also met with German Foreign Minister Wadephul. They discussed Pakistani-German relations, regional and international developments, as well as the need for dialogue and sustained international engagement to strengthen peace and stability. The Pakistani minister welcomed the engagement of Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom with the R-4 format.
R-4 consultations with representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy are to focus on regional developments and coordinated diplomatic approaches. The British side said the discussions would concern the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Saudi Arabia. A Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters that participants would also raise the issue of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
