DPM Dar departs for Istanbul ahead of R-4 bloc, European E3 diplomats’ meetings

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has departed for Istanbul to attend a meeting of R-4 bloc foreign ministers and an R-4+E-3 meeting on Friday, the Foreign Office (FO) said.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>The E-3 group comprises three European powers — France, the United Kingdom and Germany — that established the grouping more than 20 years ago to advance diplomatic coordination on Iran’s nuclear programme.</p> <p>The FO said DPM Dar will be attending the meeting on October 23 (today) at the invitation of Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/2113487269197930974?s=20'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/2113487269197930974?s=20"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>Following the R-4 meeting, the ministers would participate in a meeting with the foreign ministers of the European E-3 bloc, consisting of the UK, France and Germany, the statement added.</p> <p>“This will be the first meeting of the seven countries in this format,” FO said.</p> <p>“The meetings will focus on key regional developments and explore coordinated diplomatic approaches to address shared challenges and advance regional peace and stability,” FO added.</p> <figure class='media w-1/2 sm:w-1/3 media--right media--embed media--uneven' data-original-src='https://www.dawn.com/news/2032517'> <div class='media__item media__item--newskitlink '> <iframe class="nk-iframe" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:250px;position:relative" src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/2032517" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div> </figure> <p>DPM Dar is also set to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts during his visit as well.</p> <p>“Pakistan’s participation reflects its continued commitment to constructive diplomacy, regional cooperation and the peaceful resolution of disputes,” FO said.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/2113480150927180189?s=20'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/2113480150927180189?s=20"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>A Turkish diplomatic source told <em>Reuters</em> a day earlier that the seven countries would meet in the R-4+E-3 format for the first time at Turkiye’s initiative as wars involving <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2037502"><u>Iran</u></a>, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2038443"><u>Yemen</u></a> and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2038692"><u>Ukraine</u></a> threaten shipping routes and regional security.</p> <figure class='media w-1/2 sm:w-1/3 media--right media--embed media--uneven' data-original-src='https://www.dawn.com/news/2035540'> <div class='media__item media__item--newskitlink '> <iframe class="nk-iframe" width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:250px;position:relative" src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/2035540" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div> </figure> <p>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.</p> <p>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 Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, and reiterate Turkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security against<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2039176/houthi-attacks-on-saudi-sites-claim-four-more-lives"> attacks </a>by Yemen’s Houthi rebels under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed by Islamabad, Ankara, and Riyadh, they said.</p> <p>The Makkah defence <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2021421"><u>pact</u></a>, signed on Aug 7, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empower its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.