Pakistan's Dar Joins R4 and European Ministers in Istanbul Gulf Talks
Ishaq Dar took part in the first R4 meeting with France, Germany, Italy and the UK, as the Gulf crisis and the US-Israeli war on Iran dominated the agenda
By AXY Pakistan Desk ·
Key points
- Ishaq Dar took part in Istanbul talks in which the R4 bloc met France, Germany, Italy and the UK for the first time.
- The R4 bloc, made up of Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- Dar held bilateral talks with the Turkish, Egyptian and German foreign ministers.
- The UK said the talks would focus on the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Saudi Arabia.
- The ministers agreed to continue engagement in this format, though no specific joint plan was announced in the material released.
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has joined Istanbul talks on developments in the Gulf, where the four-nation R4 bloc met for the first time with ministers from France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. The Pakistan Foreign Office said the discussions took place against the backdrop of the US-Israeli war on Iran, and that Dar used the meeting to describe Pakistan's role in calming the region.
The Foreign Office (FO) said the Gulf talks gave ministers a chance to exchange views on regional developments, their social and economic impacts, and what it called “the urgent need to foster diplomatic engagement to resolve regional challenges of peace, security and stability.” According to the statement, Dar told his counterparts about the diplomatic and mediating role Pakistan continues to play in de-escalating tensions and preventing a return to fighting. The ministers agreed to keep meeting in this format.
Dar Takes Part in Two Istanbul Meetings
The day's diplomacy had two parts. The first was the meeting between the R4 and the European ministers. The second was a separate session of the R4 itself, which the FO said was the sixth R4 foreign ministers' meeting. Dar sat with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
The R4 ministers reviewed developments since their last meeting in New York in September. According to the FO, they focused in particular on “the situation in the Middle East and related security challenges and conflicts.” The bloc expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed its support for the kingdom's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ministers also condemned Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, and stressed the importance of respecting state sovereignty.
The FO quoted the ministers as saying they “discussed ways to strengthen regional coordination and advance diplomatic efforts to promote lasting peace, security, and stability.” For a bloc that has mostly been known through its mediation work, that is a clear statement of purpose: talk first, and keep the channels open.
Why the R4 Bloc Exists
The R4 group brings together Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. According to the source, it emerged in March and has since concentrated on regional security and on mediation between the United States and Iran. That makes it an unusual grouping. Its members are not formal allies in a single military alliance, but they share a strong interest in stopping the Gulf conflict from spreading, and each has a working relationship with Washington and Tehran.
For Pakistan, the stakes are direct. Its government has tried to position itself as a bridge between parties that rarely talk to each other, and Dar's remarks in Istanbul were built around that role. Pakistan shares a long border with Iran and has large numbers of workers and trade links across the Gulf, so any escalation there is felt quickly at home, in fuel costs, remittances and security along its western frontier.
The European countries are a different kind of partner. France, Germany, Italy and the UK have their own strong interests in the Gulf, especially in energy and shipping. Their presence at the table suggests that the R4 is being treated as more than a regional club. The FO said Dar “welcomed the constructive engagement” of Germany, France, Italy and the UK with the R4 framework, and stressed “continued consultations and diplomatic coordination on issues of shared concern.”
Bilateral Talks With Turkey, Egypt and Germany
Dar held separate bilateral meetings on the sidelines. With Fidan, the FO said he thanked the Turkish minister for hosting the meetings. The two discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and Palestine. Both men, according to the FO, “expressed concern over threats to regional stability” and stressed “the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and coordinated efforts to promote regional peace and security.” The FO said Dar and Fidan strongly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed close coordination on regional issues, including under the Makkah Defence Agreement. The statement also described the two countries' ties as “longstanding bonds of friendship and brotherhood.”
Dar then met Abdelatty. The FO said the two exchanged views on regional and international developments, including Palestine, and agreed on the value of “sustained dialogue and diplomacy.” They also reaffirmed what the statement called “longstanding and fraternal ties” between Pakistan and Egypt. According to the FO, they agreed to build momentum across a wide list of areas: trade, business-to-business links, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, connectivity, renewable energy, defence and people-to-people exchanges.
Dar also met German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. The FO said Dar wanted to strengthen bilateral ties “through sustained engagement and cooperation across multiple areas of mutual interest.” The two ministers discussed relations between Pakistan and Germany, and the FO said they stressed dialogue, diplomacy and sustained international engagement to address what it called the evolving challenges in the region.
These meetings may matter more than the formal statements suggest. Trade, energy and defence deals usually move slowly, and a list of agreed areas is a signal of intent rather than a contract. Still, the emphasis on renewable energy and agriculture alongside security points to a Pakistani foreign policy that wants economic payoffs from diplomacy, not only political ones.
Hormuz and Saudi Arabia on the British Agenda
The British side brought its own priorities. The office of British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the talks would essentially revolve around “the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Saudi Arabia.” It said Miliband would advocate for a diplomatic solution to the Hormuz crisis.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that links the Gulf to the open sea. A large share of the world's seaborne oil passes through it, so any disruption there quickly affects fuel prices and shipping costs far from the Gulf. That is why the British focus on Hormuz matters for ordinary consumers and businesses, including in South Asia, which depends on imported energy.
By putting Hormuz and Saudi Arabia at the centre of its agenda, the UK signalled that the European worry is not only about the war itself, but about the chokepoint that could be squeezed by it. For Riyadh, the Houthi attacks are a direct security threat, and the R4 statements show that Saudi Arabia is finding partners willing to say so in public.
What the Istanbul Meetings Could Mean for Pakistan
The next test is whether these meetings produce practical steps. The statements agreed on continued engagement, consultations and closer coordination, but they did not, in the material released so far, set out a joint plan for talks with Iran or for reopening any specific shipping route. Whether the R4 can move from statements to action will depend on the parties it is trying to bring together.
For Pakistan, the Istanbul round strengthens its claim to a mediating role at a time when the Gulf is under strain. It also ties Islamabad more closely to Riyadh, Ankara and Cairo, which share the R4 platform, while keeping open a line to European capitals. That mix can be useful, but it also means Pakistan will be judged on whether its mediation produces calmer conditions, not just busy diplomacy.
This could affect people in Pakistan in a few concrete ways. Stable shipping through Hormuz keeps fuel and freight costs more predictable. A calmer Gulf protects the jobs and remittances of Pakistani workers across the region. A quieter western border with Iran would ease pressure on security forces. None of these outcomes is guaranteed by a single round of talks, but they explain why the Foreign Office is keen to present Pakistan as part of the diplomatic effort.
The next moves to watch are the follow-up consultations that the ministers agreed to hold within the R4 framework, the outcome of the British push on Hormuz, and whether the bilateral agreements with Turkey, Egypt and Germany turn into specific projects. Each of these will show whether Istanbul was a single meeting or the start of a sustained process.
Questions and answers
What is the R4 bloc?
The R4 is a group of four countries, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, that emerged in March and has focused on regional security and mediation between the United States and Iran.
Who attended the Istanbul meetings?
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar took part, along with the R4 foreign ministers and counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and the UK. Dar also held bilateral talks with the Turkish, Egyptian and German foreign ministers.
Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter in these talks?
The British office said the talks would focus on the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that links the Gulf to the open sea. Disruption there can affect fuel prices and shipping costs well beyond the region.
What happens next for the R4 and European ministers?
The ministers agreed to continue engagement in this format and to hold further consultations and closer coordination under the R4 framework. The article does not identify a specific date for the next round.
Topics: Ishaq Dar, R4 bloc, Istanbul, Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia, Houthi attacks, Pakistan Foreign Office
Sources: Dawn