Islamabad, Mar 29: Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday met his counterparts from Egypt and Turkiye here ahead of a quadrilateral summit, which also includes Saudi Arabia, to discuss the ongoing conflict in West Asia and efforts to negotiate peace in the region.
Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Turkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty are visiting Islamabad at the invitation of Dar, who is also Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday.
The FO on Sunday said Pakistan and Egypt reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations during the meeting between Dar and Abdelatty.
The two sides expressed satisfaction with the positive momentum generated through recent high-level exchanges, including the visit of Abdelatty to Pakistan in November last year, it said.
“The two ministers emphasised the need to enhance bilateral trade and investment. They agreed on the importance of activating bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Ministerial Commission, and promoting business-to-business linkage,” the FO said.
Both sides also expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of defence and security cooperation, it said.
The two sides also exchanged views on West Asia tensions and underscored the need for restraint, de-escalation, and the resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, the statement said.
Dar said that Pakistan attaches “great importance to its longstanding and brotherly relations with Egypt, anchored in shared history and common faith”.
The Pakistan foreign minister appreciated Egypt’s continued support in the health sector, particularly in combating hepatitis C.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering support for the Palestinian people and strongly condemned the continued aggression by Israeli occupying forces in Gaza and the West Bank”.
The minister appreciated Egypt’s role in facilitating humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, including support extended to Pakistan’s relief efforts, the FO said.
Both sides also agreed to continue close coordination at multilateral fora, including the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the FO said.
The visit of the Egyptian foreign minister took place as a follow-up to recent high-level contacts between the two sides, including discussions held in Riyadh on March 19, the statement said.
Dar also met with Türkiye Foreign Minister Fidan, according to the FO.
“Both leaders reaffirmed strong Pakistan-Türkiye ties, discussed regional developments, including Iran and stressed dialogue, de-escalation, diplomacy and coordination for peace and stability,” it added.
During the meeting, Dar underscored the “historic and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Türkiye, rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual respect”.
Dar expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Türkiye across all sectors of mutual interest, the FO said.
Earlier, the FO said the foreign ministers of Egypt and Turkiye have already reached Islamabad while their Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud was scheduled to arrive on Sunday. (PTI)
