ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to host the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt from March 29-30 for “in-depth discussions” on a variety of issues, including efforts to reduce the ongoing tensions in the region amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.
In a press release issued on Saturday, the Foreign Office said that at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia’s FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Turkiye’s FM Hakan Fidan, and Egypt’s FM Dr Badr Abdelatty will visit Islamabad from March 29 to March 30.
“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 FO said, adding that the visiting dignitaries will also call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“Pakistan highly values its relations with the brotherly countries of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt,” the FO statement underscored.
“The visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan’s cooperation and coordination with these countries across multifaceted areas of mutual interest,” it noted.
Announcing the same on X, FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the “distinguished leaders will engage in comprehensive discussions on a wide range of regional and international issues — focusing on efforts to promote peace and de-escalation”.
Later on Saturday, Egypt’s FM Abdelatty arrived in Islamabad. The FO said that during the visit, he would “hold consultations on regional developments and call on the prime minister”.
Originally planned in Turkiye, the talks were shifted to Islamabad due to Pakistan’s growing role in the Iran-US dialogue process and the possibility that it may also host those negotiations.
The venue change reflects Islamabad’s deep involvement in ongoing diplomatic efforts, which made participation in a meeting in Turkiye less feasible.
This shift has intensified the speculation that an Iran-US meeting is likely to happen in Islamabad in a few days.
PM Shehbaz on Tuesday had formally pitched Islamabad as a potential venue for negotiations between Iranian and US officials, “subject to concurrence by the US and Iran”.
Intensified diplomacy
The four-country mechanism was formed on March 19 on the sidelines of a gathering of 10 Arab and Muslim states in Riyadh earlier this month.
While initial accounts framed the meeting around defence cooperation, officials now say the current diplomatic track effectively emerged from that interaction.
Following the Riyadh meeting, Egyptian intelligence opened channels with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), after which Pakistan moved to the forefront of the evolving diplomatic engagement.
Maintaining that pro-active diplomatic approach, Dar on Friday held separate telephonic conversations with the Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministers on the evolving regional situation. They all had underscored the importance of dialogue and collective efforts to promote peace, according to FO.
Dar also spoke with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, adding that the latter “extended his full support for Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic efforts in pursuit of peace and stability in the region”.
Speaking to FM Dar on Friday, his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi had said that Beijing endorsed Pakistan’s role in talks and had conveyed to Tehran to join the negotiations as it was an opportune time with the US under pressure in the war, according to diplomatic sources.
The same day, in a phone call with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah “fully endorsed” Pakistan’s mediation efforts, the premier’s office said.
Pakistan has taken centre-stage in a process to mediate between the US and Iran, being carried out in collaboration with Ankara and Cairo.
Dar confirmed on Thursday that “US-Iran indirect talks are taking place through messages being relayed by Pakistan”.
He further said a 15-point US framework had been shared and was under Iranian deliberation, while the “brotherly countries of Turkiye and Egypt” are supporting the effort.
Following reports of the US sending its proposal, Iranian media had quoted an official as outlining five conditions under which Tehran would agree to end the ongoing conflict.
Additional reporting by Ameer Hamza
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