Parties to the Mecca Agreement meet in Istanbul… and Egypt joins the table
Parties to the Mecca Agreement meet in Istanbul… and Egypt joins the table
2026-08-19
Shafaq News – Islamabad
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan will hold a quadrilateral meeting in Istanbul later this month to discuss political developments and regional security issues.
The ministry said in a statement that the meeting comes “within the framework of continued consultations and close cooperation between the four countries regarding developments in the political situation and regional security,” indicating that the agreement on the date and place of the meeting came after a telephone call between Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry did not specify an exact date for the meeting, only indicating that it would be held “later this month”.
According to press reports, Egypt’s position on joining the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is expected to receive some attention during the consultations, after Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the agreement earlier this month, while Cairo is considering the possibility of joining it.
The importance of this file comes in light of the moves aimed at strengthening security and defense coordination between the countries of the region, in conjunction with the continuation of consultations between Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan regarding regional developments.
The meeting comes as part of the R-4 group meetings, which includes the foreign ministers of the four countries. The ministers held their fifth meeting in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on August 5, 2026, where they discussed a number of regional issues and stressed the importance of continuing consultation and coordination on security and stability in the region.
shafaq.com
