Islamabad: Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkiye and Pakistan held consultations on the West Asia conflict in Islamabad on Sunday to find a way to de-escalate the ongoing war that has unsettled the region and caused severe global economic disruptions. The foreign ministers discussed the evolving regional situation and exchanged views on security issues while exploring options for broader peace in the region, an official said.
The talks were held amidst a delay in the direct talks between the US and Iran. No statement was issued after the meeting. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Islamabad on Saturday, while their Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, reached here on Sunday at the invitation of Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The two-day quadrilateral summit is Pakistan’s attempt to broker peace in West Asia.
After the meeting, the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed various matters of bilateral and regional interest.
Earlier, Dar held a meeting with the Saudi Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the quadrilateral huddle, the Foreign Office (FO) said. “During the meeting, the two leaders held detailed discussions on the evolving regional and international developments. They underscored the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, and collective efforts to promote peace, security and stability in the region,”it said.
“Reaffirming their commitment for closer engagement, the two sides agreed to continue working together at bilateral and multilateral levels to further strengthen cooperation and contribute to regional peace and prosperity,” it added.
Dar also held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Egypt and Turkiye on Sunday on the sidelines of the summit.
The FO said Pakistan and Egypt expressed satisfaction with the positive momentum generated through recent high-level exchanges, including the visit of Abdelatty to Pakistan in November last year.
In a press statement on Saturday, the FO said the visiting foreign ministers will hold “in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region”. Separately, the FO in a midnight post on X said that Dar held a telephonic conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and “discussed the evolving regional situation and
ongoing developments”.