Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has arrived in Istanbul for the upcoming Regional 4 (R-4) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, following the conclusion of his official visit to the United Kingdom.
In a post on X, the Foreign Office said Dar had “concluded a successful official visit to the UK”, during which he held meetings with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Minister of State for Pakistan Stephen Doughty, National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, International Maritime Organisation Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez and Commonwealth Secretary General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.
Dar also met British parliamentarians of Pakistani origin and members of the Pakistani diaspora during his visit.
Earlier this month, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan invited Dar to attend the R-4 ministerial meeting in Istanbul. The grouping comprises Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with Dar confirming his participation.
The R-4 framework, which emerged in March, has focused on regional security and diplomatic efforts to facilitate mediation between the United States and Iran.
The Istanbul meeting is being held as negotiations remain stalled, while the nearly six-month-long conflict continues with little indication of an immediate resolution.
The previous R-4 meeting was held in Cairo in June, where the four countries welcomed the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran.
At the time, the Foreign Office said the R-4 framework reflected the participating countries’ shared commitment to consultation, cooperation and coordinated efforts to promote regional peace and prosperity.
The first R-4 meeting was held in Riyadh on the sidelines of a consultative ministerial meeting, while the second took place in Islamabad. Both meetings were held in March.
