DPM Dar meets Turkish FM ahead of R-4 bloc, European diplomats’ meetings

Dawn · 23/10/2026، 11:30:50 AM

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, ahead of a meeting of R-4 foreign ministers and a meeting between the R-4 and European diplomats, the Foreign Office (FO) said. The R-4 group, comprising Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, emerged in March and has been focusing on regional security and mediation efforts between the United States and Iran. In a post on X, the FO said that Dar thanked Fidan for hosting the meetings and that the pair discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and Palestine. “They expressed concern over threats to regional stability and underscored the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and coordinated efforts to promote regional peace and security,” the FO post said. Additionally, Dar and Fidan strongly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination on regional issues, including under the Makkah Defence Agreement. “Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the longstanding bonds of friendship and brotherhood between Pakistan and Turkiye, and to deepening cooperation across all areas of mutual interest, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora,” the FO added. Dar left for Istanbul earlier in the day and is attending the meeting at the invitation of Fidan. In a post on X, the FO said that upon his arrival, Dar arrived in Istanbul and was received by Director General of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cihad Erginay and Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires Shaiq Ahmed. The FO added that during his one-day visit, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Dar would participate in the R-4 and R-4-plus meetings with France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. Dar would also call on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts, the FO said. Earlier, FO said that the ministers will participate in a meeting with counte