Minister’s conversations with his Turkish, Pakistani, and Egyptian counterparts Egypt Pakistan Turkey Relation bilatérale Statement On : October 23rd 2026 On Friday 23 October 2026, M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, took part with his European counterparts from the so-called E3 format (Germany, United Kingdom) and his counterparts from the R4 format (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey), in discussions in Istanbul focused on the situation in the Middle East, particularly the Iran crisis. On the sidelines of the visit, the Minister held meetings with his Turkish, Pakistani and Egyptian counterparts. Minister’s meeting with his Turkish counterpart During his visit to Istanbul on 23 October 2026, M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, had a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mr Hakan Fidan. The meeting, which built on the Minister’s visit to Ankara on 27 January 2026, provided an opportunity to discuss the main bilateral issues between France and Turkey, as well as cooperation between the European Union and Turkey. Minister’s meeting with his Pakistani counterpart On the sidelines of the E3/R4-format meeting in Istanbul, M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, had a meeting on 23 October 2026 with his counterpart Mr Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs welcomed Pakistan’s ongoing mediation efforts between Iran and the United States and reiterated the need to guarantee a diplomatic solution to resolve, in the long term, the nuclear, ballistic and regional threats emanating from Iran. The two ministers discussed regional developments. They welcomed the eighth session of the France-Pakistan Joint Security Commission on 22 September 2026 and agreed to continue developing bilateral relations in the framework of the Roadmap for Bilateral Cooperation adopted in 2023, particularly in terms of cooperation in the fields of academia, culture and sustainable development. Minister’s meeting with his Egyptian counterpart M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, had a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Mr Badr Abdelatty, on the sidelines of his visit to Istanbul on 23 October 2026. The meeting provided an opportunity to continue the close coordination between France and Egypt in responding to major regional crises, in particular in the Middle East and on the African continent. The two ministers also discussed the implementation of the strategic partnership between France and Egypt, in particular with regard to deepening economic and financial cooperation. Photo : Philémon Henry/MEAE