Dar heads to Cairo for quadrilateral foreign ministers' meeting

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday departed for Cairo to participate in a meeting bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. The Foreign Office (FO) announced Dar’s departure on the social media platform X. It said that he would also hold bilateral meetings with the participating foreign ministers and call on Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on the sidelines of the meeting. In a statement issued on Friday, the FO said the meeting — which is scheduled to be held on June 21 (Sunday) and the fourth of its kind — will bring together the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan to “discuss regional developments and exchange views on issues related to peace, security, and stability”. “Building on the outcomes of previous R-4 meetings, the ministers will also discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation in areas of shared interest,” the FO said. It added that during the visit, Dar would hold bilateral consultations with his Egyptian counterpart and would also call on the Egyptian president. “The discussions will focus on further deepening Pakistan-Egypt bilateral cooperation across diverse fields and exchanging views on regional and international developments of mutual interest,” the FO said. It reaffirmed that Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. “The R-4 framework reflects the participating countries’ shared commitment to consultation, cooperation, and coordinated efforts in support of regional peace and prosperity,” the FO said. In March, Dar had hosted the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt for a quadrilateral moot on the Middle East crisis in Islamabad.