Islamabad: Pakistan will host the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkiye for discussions on a wide range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in West Asia amid the ongoing Iran war, the Foreign Office announced on Saturday.
At the invitation of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Turkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty are scheduled to visit Islamabad on Sunday and Monday.
During the visit, the foreign ministers will hold “in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region,” the Foreign Office said. The visiting leaders will also meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The Foreign Office highlighted that Pakistan “highly values its relations with the brotherly countries of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt,” adding that the visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation and coordination with these nations.
According to Geo News, the meeting was initially scheduled to be held in Turkiye. However, citing prior engagements, Dar requested the leaders to meet in Islamabad instead. “The meeting was scheduled to be held in Turkiye, but due to my engagement, I requested my brothers to instead meet in Islamabad tomorrow (Sunday),” he said.
Dar emphasised that Pakistan is working with “honesty and sincerity” to resolve ongoing disputes. He also confirmed that talks with Iran are continuing, but officials are refraining from making public statements due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
On Thursday, Pakistan said it was “actively and constructively engaged” with all stakeholders, both in the region and beyond, to peacefully end the Iran war.
However, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi did not confirm whether face-to-face talks would take place in Islamabad over the weekend. He stated that Pakistan has “remained actively and constructively engaged with relevant regional stakeholders and beyond our region, consistently advocating for immediate de-escalation, cessation of hostilities, and an irreversible path towards a peaceful resolution.”
Pakistan also confirmed that it has been relaying messages between the United States and Iran, emphasising that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only way forward to resolve the West Asia conflict peacefully.
With PTI inputs