R4 and European foreign ministers meet in Istanbul for the first time — Dawn
As Dawn reports, the first joint meeting of the foreign ministers of the R4 group — Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — and their counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom took place in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 23. The parties discussed the situation in the Persian Gulf region, including against the backdrop of the US and Israeli war against Iran.
Participants exchanged assessments of regional developments and their social and economic consequences, and stressed the need for diplomatic engagement to address issues of peace, security and stability. All ministers agreed to maintain contacts in this format.
R4 meeting
The sixth meeting of R4 foreign ministers was also held separately. It was attended by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, they reviewed developments in the region since their previous meeting in New York in September. Particular attention was paid to the situation in the Middle East, related conflicts and security challenges. The participants expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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The ministers also condemned attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on Saudi Arabia and stressed the need to respect states’ sovereignty. They discussed strengthening regional coordination and diplomatic steps toward lasting peace, security and stability.
Bilateral talks
On the sidelines of the meeting, Ishaq Dar held talks with Hakan Fidan, Badr Abdelatty and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. With his Turkish counterpart, he discussed bilateral relations, the situation in the Middle East and Palestine. Both ministers expressed concern over threats to regional stability and advocated dialogue, diplomacy and coordinated action.
During the conversation with Abdelatty, the sides discussed developments in Palestine and the Middle East, and agreed to step up cooperation in trade, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, defense and people-to-people contacts. At the meeting with Wadephul, Dar welcomed the engagement of Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom with the R4 format.
Security of sea routes
The office of British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband said the talks were to focus on the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Saudi Arabia. The French Foreign Ministry described the meeting as the first in this format amid instability and uncertainty in the region. A Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters that Turkey initiated the talks and that the topics included risks to shipping and regional security.
