Ishaq Dar arrives in Istanbul for R4, R4+E3 foreign ministers’ meetings

Business Recorder · 23/10/2026، 9:24:05 AM

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday arrived in Istanbul, Türkiye, to attend the R4 foreign ministers’ meeting involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt, followed by a meeting with the E3 countries — the United Kingdom, France and Germany. DPM Dar was received by Director General at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Cihad Erginay, Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires Shaiq Ahmed, Pakistan’s Consul General in Istanbul Khawaja Khurram Naeem, Additional Secretary Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, and officers of the embassy of Pakistan in Ankara and the Consulate General of Pakistan in Istanbul. According to the Foreign Office, the R4 meeting will provide an opportunity for the participating foreign ministers to exchange views on key regional and international developments. R4 Group comprises Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt. It will be followed by an R4+E3 meeting, bringing together foreign ministers from all seven countries. The Foreign Office said it would be the first meeting in this format. The discussions will focus on key regional developments and explore coordinated diplomatic approaches to address shared challenges and promote regional peace and stability. During his visit, Dar will call on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts, the Foreign Office said. The E3 was set up more than 20 years ago to advance diplomatic coordination over Iran’s nuclear programme. The R4 was formed this year and brings together Egypt with the signatories to the Mecca Defence Agreement — a mutual defence pact set up by Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August. Top European diplomats will hold talks in Istanbul Friday with their counterparts from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt for a meeting initiated by Ankara, AFP reported on Thursday citing a Turkish foreign ministry official. Foreign ministers from the so-called E3 group — Britain, France and