Dar leaves UK, heads to Istanbul: FO

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has concluded his official visit to the United Kingdom and

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has concluded his official visit to the United Kingdom and travelled to Istanbul, Turkiye, for further diplomatic engagements.

The Foreign Office said Dar departed for Istanbul on Sunday. His visit comes ahead of the Regional 4 (R-4) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which is expected to focus on regional security and efforts to promote peace.

The R-4 grouping comprises Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The four countries have been coordinating on key regional issues and exploring diplomatic options to address ongoing tensions.

During his stay in the UK, Dar held meetings with several senior British officials. His engagements included talks with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Minister of State for Pakistan Stephen Doughty and National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell.

Dar also met International Maritime Organisation Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez and Commonwealth Secretary General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.

The foreign minister also met British parliamentarians of Pakistani origin. He further interacted with members of the Pakistani community living in the UK.

His Istanbul visit follows an invitation from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan earlier this month. Dar accepted the invitation and confirmed Pakistan’s participation in the R-4 meeting.

The four-country framework emerged in March as regional tensions intensified and diplomatic efforts were launched to facilitate dialogue between the United States and Iran.

The upcoming meeting is taking place as negotiations remain stalled and the conflict continues to create serious security and diplomatic challenges in the region.

The previous R-4 meeting was held in Cairo in June. At that meeting, the participating countries welcomed the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran.

The Foreign Office has previously described the R-4 framework as a platform for consultation, cooperation and coordinated efforts aimed at promoting regional peace and prosperity.

The group’s first meeting was held in Riyadh on the sidelines of a consultative ministerial gathering. The second meeting took place in Islamabad. Both meetings were held in March.