Story by, Paul Mensah Nsor
Foreign ministers from Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia met in Cairo on Sunday to “discuss regional developments” and “issues related to peace, security, and stability,” as diplomatic efforts intensify following a new US-Iran memorandum of understanding.
The talks come as high-level negotiations between Washington and Tehran got underway in Switzerland on Sunday, following the signing of a ceasefire deal earlier this week aimed at ending their conflict.
The Switzerland negotiations were initially due to start Friday but were postponed due to Israel’s ongoing attacks on Lebanon. Tehran said those strikes contravened the agreement.
In Cairo, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi praised intensive coordination among the four countries and stressed the need to ensure the success of the negotiations.
Sunday’s meeting was the fourth ministerial session between the quartet and the first since the conclusion of the deal. The conflict began on 28 February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
The memorandum of understanding provides for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the launch of a 60-day negotiation period on broader issues, including Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The quartet’s discussions in Cairo focused on supporting implementation of the agreement and addressing wider regional security concerns.
Source: Africa News
