Overview
- Foreign ministers from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt met with France, Germany, the UK and Italy in Istanbul on 23 October 2026 to launch the R4+E3 consultation format.
- The group issued a joint statement backing diplomatic de-escalation, including support for Pakistan’s Islamabad MoU aimed at pausing US/Iran hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
- Ministers strongly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised Yemeni government.
- The meeting stressed freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and the Black Sea as a priority because disruptions threaten global energy and supply chains.
- Pakistan confirmed it has completed ratification of the Makkah Defence Alliance and participants agreed to keep the expanded R4-plus talks ongoing while making no new binding military commitments.