ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will travel to Egypt on Sunday for talks with his counterparts from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, the Foreign Office said on Friday, as the four nations prepare to discuss regional security and evolving diplomatic developments amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
The meeting in Cairo will mark the fourth session of the “R-4” grouping, a diplomatic framework established by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan in March this year as consultations intensified during the US-Iran conflict and wider regional instability.
The platform was created to coordinate positions on regional crises and support de-escalation efforts, and has since met regularly to review political, security, and economic developments across the Middle East.
“At the invitation of the Foreign Minister of Egypt, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar will attend the 4th Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the R-4 Group of Countries, to be held in Cairo, Egypt, on 21 June 2026,” Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement.
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4th Meeting of the R-4 Foreign Ministers in Cairo, Egypt (21 June, 2026)
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) June 19, 2026
“The meeting will bring together the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan to discuss regional developments and exchange views on issues related to peace, security, and stability,” it added.
The ministers will also discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in areas of shared interest, according to the statement.
During the visit, Dar will hold bilateral consultations with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and is also expected to call on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The discussions will focus on expanding Pakistan-Egypt cooperation across a range of sectors as well as exchanging views on regional and international developments, the foreign ministry said.
It said Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye. The R-4 framework reflects the participating countries’ shared commitment to consultation, cooperation, and coordinated efforts in support of regional peace and prosperity.
The Cairo meeting comes after US-Iran talks scheduled for Friday in Switzerland, aimed at following up on a recently agreed framework to end the war, were postponed, according to the Swiss foreign ministry.
The White House also confirmed that US Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Switzerland for the discussions had been cancelled.
The agreement, signed this week by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, is intended to end a conflict that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
It further outlines plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and initiate a 60-day negotiation period on broader issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
