They met in Istanbul. "Joint dialogue against crises" decision from the foreign ministers of eight countries

Foreign ministers of eight countries gathered in Istanbul within the scope of the 9th Mediation Conference to evaluate hot conflicts in the Middle East, risks on maritime trade routes and tension in the Black Sea.

In the joint statement published after the meetings, the emphasis on diplomacy and negotiation for resolving the crises came to the fore.

The R4 Group, consisting of Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and the foreign ministers of Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy met in Istanbul on October 23.

Within the scope of the contacts hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, the parties sat at the table for the first time in this expanded format with the addition of Italy to the R4 and E3 countries.

The US/Israel-Iran conflict, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the need for a negotiated two-state solution were discussed comprehensively at the meeting.

Ministers also united in their assessments condemning the attacks of the Houthi militias against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of Yemen.

Freedom of navigation and security were also among the priority agenda items during the meetings. Ministers; He drew attention to the risks of the escalating tension in the Babülmandep Strait, the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea line on international trade and economy.

“WE WILL CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO DIPLOMATIC STEPS”

In the joint statement, the ministers noted that they will continue to contribute to diplomatic steps aimed at strengthening peace and stability in the region and beyond.

The statement stated that it is an urgent necessity to address regional conflicts through dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation.

The statement also emphasized that it is essential to find permanent solutions to all ongoing conflicts through negotiations, within the framework of relevant United Nations resolutions.

Ministers decided to continue this contact format in order to prevent new conflicts and improve stability.

DIPLOMACY TRAFFIC STARTED YESTERDAY MORNING

Diplomatic traffic in Istanbul started yesterday morning with the 9th Istanbul Mediation Conference held with the theme "Partnerships and New Perspectives for Peace: Mediation in a Changing World".

Then, the R4 mechanism meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

In addition to Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdulati and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan attended this first session.

In the last part of the day, contacts were expanded with the participation of European countries.

United Kingdom Foreign Minister Ed Miliband, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani attended the meeting and held joint consultations with R4 representatives.