Foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkiye to visit Pakistan for talks on West Asia
Islamabad: Pakistan is preparing to host the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey for talks on a wide range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in West Asia during the war in Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that upon the invitation of Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishak Dar, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Bedr Abdelatty will visit Islamabad on Sunday and Monday.
It was stated that during the visit, the foreign ministers “will hold in-depth discussions on a number of issues, including efforts to reduce tensions in the region.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the visiting leaders will also meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
He added that Pakistan “highly values its relations with sister countries Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt and the visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan’s cooperation and coordination with these countries.”
Geo News reported that the meeting was earlier planned to be held in Türkiye, but due to Dar’s participation, he asked the leaders to come to Islamabad.
“The meeting was planned to be held in Türkiye, but due to my engagement, I requested that my brothers meet in Islamabad tomorrow (Sunday) instead,” Dar said.
The deputy prime minister said Pakistan was working with “honesty and sincerity” to resolve ongoing disputes.
Dar said that talks with Iran are ongoing, but officials are refraining from making public statements due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
Pakistan said on Thursday it was “actively and constructively engaging” with all stakeholders in the region and beyond to bring the Iran war to a peaceful end.
However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi did not specifically confirm the chances of a face-to-face meeting in Islamabad next weekend.
The spokesman said Pakistan “continues to engage actively and constructively with relevant regional stakeholders and beyond our region, consistently advocating for an immediate de-escalation of tensions, a cessation of hostilities and an irreversible path towards a peaceful resolution.”
Pakistan also confirmed the transmission of messages between the US and Iran and said the only way to end the West Asian conflict was through dialogue and diplomacy.
