Pakistan, Turkiye Strongly Condemn Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

October 23, 2026 at 6:14 PM
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkiye on Friday strongly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination on regional issues, including under the Makkah Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Istanbul for the R-4 Ministerial Meeting and the R4+ meeting with Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. The R-4 included Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Deputy PM Dar held his first meeting in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and thanked him for Turkiye’s hosting of the R-4 Ministerial Meeting and the R4+ meeting, the Foreign Ministry said.

Dar conveyed condolences over the loss of lives caused by flash floods following heavy rains in Turkiye and wished a swift recovery to those affected.

During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and Palestine.

The foreign ministers expressed concern over threats to regional stability and underscored the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and coordinated efforts to promote regional peace and security.

“The two sides also strongly condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination on regional issues, including under the Makkah Defence Agreement among Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the longstanding bonds of friendship and brotherhood between Pakistan and Turkiye, and to deepening cooperation across all areas of mutual interest, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora.

Later, Deputy PM Dar met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty on the sidelines of the R4 Ministerial Meeting in Istanbul, the Foreign Office said.

The two Ministers reaffirmed the longstanding and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Egypt and underscored the importance of sustained high-level engagement in further advancing bilateral relations.

They agreed to impart greater momentum to cooperation across a range of areas, including trade, business-to-business linkages, agriculture, pharmaceutical, connectivity, renewable energy, defence, and people-to-people exchanges.

The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and international developments, particularly the situation in Palestine and the Middle East, and underscored the importance of sustained dialogue and diplomacy in addressing regional challenges.

They reaffirmed their commitment to continued consultations and closer coordination under the Regional Four (R4) framework and on matters of mutual interest, the Foreign Office stated.

The meetings took place as foreign ministers and senior diplomats from European and regional countries gathered in Istanbul on Friday for talks on key international and regional developments.

The meeting brought together the E3 group of Britain, France and Germany and the R4 grouping involving Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt. It was the first meeting between the two groups in the R4+E3 format.

During his one-day official visit, Deputy PM Dar will participate in meetings in the R4 and R4+ France, Germany, Italy, and UK, call on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts, Foreign Office said.

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