Dar accepts invitation to regional Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Istanbul

Fidan invited Dar to participate in the Regional 4 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan,

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will attend a key regional meeting in Istanbul later this month after receiving an invitation from his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Fidan invited Dar to participate in the Regional 4 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Dar accepted the invitation and confirmed that he would attend the gathering.

During a telephone conversation, the two foreign ministers also exchanged views on recent developments in the region and discussed efforts to promote peace, stability and greater regional cooperation.

The call marked the second conversation between Dar and Fidan in the same week. Their earlier discussion on Sunday focused on regional developments and strengthening cooperation on issues of mutual interest.

Pakistan has intensified its diplomatic engagement with regional and international partners amid the continuing US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Islamabad has sought to play a constructive role in diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions and facilitating dialogue.

Dar has recently held discussions with senior diplomats from the United States, United Kingdom and China, as well as Pakistan’s ambassador-designate to Sweden, to exchange views on the evolving regional situation. He has maintained that the implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding is essential for advancing peace and stability.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide also praised Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts during a joint press briefing with Dar, describing Islamabad’s role in facilitating dialogue between Washington and Tehran as significant.

The upcoming Istanbul meeting will take place against the backdrop of closer security and diplomatic ties among several regional states. On August 7, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, a trilateral security framework aimed at strengthening defence cooperation, collective deterrence and regional stability.

The agreement builds on the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last year, under which aggression against either country is to be treated as aggression against both.

The Istanbul meeting is expected to provide the four countries with another platform to coordinate their positions on regional security, peace efforts and emerging geopolitical challenges.