FM Ishaq Dar – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar left for Istanbul on Friday to attend the R4 and R4+E3 ministerial meetings. The R4 group includes Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan invited Dar to the R4 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which takes place in Istanbul today.
A second session will follow. In it, the R4 ministers will sit with their counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany, known as the E3.
This is the first time these seven countries are meeting in this format. Turkiye took the lead in setting it up, according to a Turkish diplomatic source quoted by Reuters.
The talks come at a tense time. Wars involving Iran, Yemen and Ukraine are putting shipping routes and regional security at risk.
Ministers are expected to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian issue and the latest situation in the Strait of Hormuz. They will also review developments in Yemen and efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 departs Islamabad for Istanbul, Türkiye, to participate in the R4 (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt) Ministerial Meeting and the R4+E3 (UK, Germany and France) meeting.
The meetings will provide an opportunity for participating Ministers to exchange views on key regional and international developments.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 23, 2026
Another topic is how regional and European countries can work more closely together.
Fidan is expected to press for a diplomatic solution to the war between the United States and Iran. He will also stress free navigation in the Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab straits.
He is also likely to repeat Turkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security against Houthi attacks. This support falls under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Turkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Fidan will also tell his counterparts that Ankara is working to keep the Ukraine war from spreading to the Black Sea.
During the visit, Dar will hold separate meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines.
Pakistan’s presence at these talks shows its commitment to constructive diplomacy, regional cooperation and peaceful solutions to disputes.
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