Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt stress importance of swift conclusion to 'current phase' of US-Iran talks

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt on Sunday welcomed the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (Mo U) between the US and Iran during a Regional Four (R-4) meeting in Cairo, emphasising the importance of achieving a “swift and successful” conclusion to the subsequent phase of negotiations. The meeting came the same day as Pakistan, along with c0-mediator Qatar, hosted delegations from the US and Iran in Switzerland for high-level technical talks ironing out the details of the MoU. On Friday, the FO had announced that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar would attend the fourth meeting of foreign ministers in Cairo on June 21 at the invitation of his Egyptian counterpart. In a joint statement issued by the participating nations, shared by the Foreign Office on X, the R-4 meet which convened in Cairo on Sunday at the invitation of Egypt, welcomed the signing of the Islamabad MoU. The participating nations viewed the important development as a “constructive step towards de-escalation and towards ending a conflict which posed significant risks to regional security and stability, as well as to energy markets, international maritime routes, global supply chains, and international trade.” In this context, the statement said that the foreign ministers commended the “efforts undertaken by regional and international actors that contributed to facilitating the understanding and emphasised the importance of the faithful implementation of the commitments undertaken by the parties concerned”. “The ministers lauded the instrumental efforts of Pakistan in reaching this historic outcome, along with the support extended by Qatar to bring about a successful conclusion to the negotiations on the MoU. “The Ministers also commended the continued and close coordination of Pakistan with them on this important issue,” it said. Building on this positive momentum, the statement said that the particular emphasis was placed on the “importance of achieving a