During a meeting, today, Friday (October 23) in Istanbul, with seven senior diplomats, German Foreign Minister Johan Vadevol discussed issues of wars and conflicts in the region. In addition to Vadiful, the foreign ministers of Britain, Italy and France, in addition to the regional powers Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt, participated in the talks, which were held in the Turkish city.
The Istanbul meeting is the first within the new “E3 + R4 formula”. The "Group of Three" (E3), which includes Germany, Britain and France, was established more than twenty years ago as part of the nuclear negotiations with Iran. As for the “R4” group, it was recently formed and includes Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt, and this year it strengthened its joint security coordination against the backdrop of the war with Iran.
A source in the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the agenda included several files, including the Palestinian issue, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, developments in Yemen, and the search for ways to end the war in Ukraine.
Before leaving for Istanbul, Vadiful had stated that, in light of the multiple conflicts and crises, especially in the Gulf region, he saw the necessity of searching for new paths for solutions. He added: "We cannot confront these huge challenges unless we work together beyond existing traditional frameworks."
The German minister referred to a number of crises, including tensions related to the Strait of Hormuz, attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi group in Yemen, targeting Saudi Arabia and freedom of maritime navigation, as well as Russian attacks on grain shipments in the Black Sea. He stressed that the eight countries participating in the Istanbul meeting are united by the conviction that these intractable conflicts directly affect the economic and security conditions of their countries, in addition to the existence of a common will to search for new solutions.
Vadivule added: “In our first meeting in this format, we, the Europeans and the four regional powers, want to explore together ways to move the stalemate in the conflicts related to the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab and the Black Sea.” He explained that the meeting came at a joint initiative from Germany and Turkey.
The German Foreign Minister continued: "We eight send a clear message that we do not accept that Iran and the Houthis continue to blackmail global trade and keep global energy and fertilizer supplies under pressure." He stressed that "indiscriminate attacks on free maritime navigation and neighboring countries must stop." He also accused Russia of targeting freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, considering that it had put "an essential lifeline for many people" in danger.
For his part, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that any new escalation between Iran and the United States will only leave losers and will raise oil prices. Barrow added to reporters in Istanbul after the meeting with his counterparts from Britain, Germany, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which came in an unprecedented format, that “any further escalation between Iran and the United States will not achieve any gains, and is likely to have very serious consequences on fuel prices.”
France had confirmed before the meeting that the talks would cover “the Iranian crisis with its various repercussions,” describing it as the first “in this format... against the backdrop of a state of extreme instability and uncertainty in the region.” The French Foreign Ministry stated that the meeting aims to "strengthen coordination between Europeans and Middle Eastern countries in the face of crises that we did not choose, but which affect us all."
In turn, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's office stated that the talks would mainly focus on "the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." He added that Miliband "will call for a diplomatic solution to the (Hormuz) crisis that restores full navigational rights and freedoms."
On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad Badr Abdel Ati stressed the importance of continuing coordination within the regional Quartet mechanism, and the necessity of agreeing on the principles of a regional security system based on respecting the sovereignty of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, and supporting political solutions.
Türkiye believes that the responsibility for regional security lies primarily with the countries of the region themselves. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Minister Hakan Fidan will stress this position during the meeting, stressing the priority of cooperation mechanisms based on “regional self-reliance.” The ministry added that the current conflicts should not be allowed to fuel each other or lead to further escalation.
