ISLAMABAD: Pakistani, Saudi, Turkish and Egyptian foreign ministers met in Cairo on Sunday to discuss regional developments and a United States-Iran peace deal, the Pakistani foreign ministry said, as US and Iranian officials arrived in Switzerland to hold follow-up talks on the agreement.
US and Iranian negotiators were in Switzerland on Sunday for discussion on their interim agreement to permanently end their war, while Pakistani and Qatari mediators were also at the scene for the technical-level discussions on resolving the conflict that began in late February.
On the eve of the talks, Tehran announced it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again over Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon. The interim deal between the US and Iran is meant to stop fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon, as well as calls for billions of dollars of Iran’s assets to be unfrozen.
The meeting in Cairo of the R-4, a diplomatic framework launched by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan in March to intensify consultations to end the US-Iran conflict and help stabilize the Middle East, began in a “restricted format.”
“The Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye discussed regional developments, implementation of the Islamabad MoU (memorandum of understanding), and priority areas of cooperation, reaffirming their commitment to dialogue, diplomacy, and regional ownership of shared challenges,” the Pakistan foreign ministry said.
The statement came as Qatar confirmed the start of talks between the US and Iran in Switzerland aimed at a permanent end to the Middle East war.
Qatar’s foreign ministry announced “the launch of the Lake Lucerne Summit and the first meeting of the high-level committee with the participation of representatives from the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the two mediating states, the State of Qatar and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”
It said it hoped the meetings would “lead to a comprehensive and lasting agreement addressing all aspects covered by the Memorandum of Understanding,” referring to an accord signed by the US and Iran earlier this week.
The meeting in Cairo marks yet another gathering of the R-4, which is conceived as a platform for coordinating positions on regional crises and advancing de-escalation efforts. The group has regularly met since March to discuss security, political and economic developments across the region.
“Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye & Egypt continue to deepen cooperation for a more peaceful, stable, and connected region,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
During his visit to Cairo, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will also hold bilateral consultations with Egyptian FM Abdelatty and is also expected to call on President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, according to the Pakistani ministry.
The discussions will focus on expanding Pakistan-Egypt cooperation across a range of sectors as well as exchanging views on regional and international developments, the foreign office said.
