Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed the possibility of talks to reduce the ongoing war between America and Iran. Emphasized that both the countries have expressed their confidence in Islamabad to facilitate dialogue. Ishaq Dar made these comments while addressing the media after consultations with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye. The leaders also discussed ways to quickly and permanently end the war in the region while consulting on the West Asian conflict.
After the consultation, Ishaq Dar also briefed the guests about the prospects for possible US-Iran talks in Islamabad. He said that international foreign ministers expressed their full support for this initiative.
He further said that Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and America have expressed confidence in Pakistan to facilitate their talks. Pakistan will have the privilege of hosting and facilitating meaningful talks in the coming days for a comprehensive and permanent solution to the ongoing conflict between the two sides.
He said the foreign ministers reaffirmed solidarity to control the situation, reduce the risk of military escalation and create conditions for negotiations between the parties concerned. This was the second meeting of consultations between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, after the first meeting held in Riyadh on March 19.
Ishaq Dar said that the four foreign ministers had a very detailed and in-depth discussion on the current regional situation. He said that we also discussed possible ways to end the war in the region quickly and permanently. He said all participants expressed concern that the ongoing conflict is extremely unfortunate due to its devastating impact on lives and livelihoods in the entire region.
He said that we agreed that this war is not in anyone's interest and it will only lead to death and destruction. The unity of the Muslim Ummah is extremely important in these challenging times. Pakistan, along with Türkiye and Egypt, is making efforts to bring America and Iran to the negotiating table, but no success has been achieved so far. However, officials are expecting such a meeting in the coming week.
Dar said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shahbaz, Pakistan has maintained regular contacts with its regional and international partners. He said that we have been actively involved in all efforts and initiatives aimed at ending this conflict.
Describing Pakistan-US relations as very important, he said that he has been actively engaged with the US leadership in efforts to defuse the situation and find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The report further said that Dar also had a detailed telephone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in which he said that China fully supports Pakistan's initiative to host the Iran-US talks.
The External Affairs Minister also said that he had very productive bilateral meetings with the three foreign ministers, who also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Separately, after the meeting, Dar said on Twitter that he was pleased to welcome the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt for consultations.
He said that I am grateful for their presence at this important time, which reflects our strong brotherly ties. Our candid and constructive discussions focused on taking into account changes in the regional situation and promoting peace and stability, as well as strengthening our partnership and deepening cooperation in various fields.
This conversation took place amid the delay in direct talks between America and Iran. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdellatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Islamabad on Saturday, while their Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, arrived here on Sunday at the invitation of Dar.
The two-day Quadrilateral Summit is Pakistan's effort to establish peace in West Asia. After the meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed various matters of bilateral and regional interest. Earlier, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Dar met the Saudi Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the quadrilateral conference.
The Foreign Office said that during the meeting, the two leaders discussed in detail the developments happening at the regional and international levels. He stressed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and collective efforts to promote peace, security and stability in the region. The Foreign Office further said that reaffirming their commitment to close cooperation, both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels and continue to work together to contribute to regional peace and prosperity. Dar also held bilateral talks with his Egyptian and Turkish counterparts on Sunday during the summit.
