Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye to meet European trio in Istanbul

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Turkiye will host an R-4 and an R-4+E-3 meetings of foreign ministers in Istanbul on October 23, the Turkish foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The R-4 group, which comprises 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. The E-3 group is a trio of European powers — France, Britain and Germany — that was set up more than 20 years ago to advance diplomatic coordination over Iran’s nuclear programme. The Foreign Office in Islamabad has yet to comment on the planned meetings and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s participation. A Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters that the seven countries would meet in the R-4+E-3 format for the first time at Turkiye’s initiative as wars involving Iran, Yemen and Ukraine threaten shipping routes and regional security. The ministers are expected to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the latest situation in the Strait of Hormuz, developments related to Yemen, efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, and opportunities for closer cooperation between the regional and European countries, the source added. Fidan is expected to emphasise the need for a diplomatic solution to the war between the United States and Iran, the importance of freedom of navigation in the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, and reiterate Turkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed by Islamabad, Ankara, and Riyadh, they said. Fidan will also tell counterparts that Turkiye has been working to stop the war in Ukraine from spreading to the Black Sea, pointing to the regional security risks posed by the conflict, the source said.

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