Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will travel to Egypt following his talks in Libya on Aug. 13, days after Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan signed a trilateral defense agreement, diplomatic sources have said.
Fidan will be in Cairo on Aug. 13 and 14 to meet his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, and other senior officials. He will also be received by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The foreign ministers will co-chair the second meeting of the Türkiye-Egypt Joint Planning Group and review the implementation of the decisions taken during the High-Level Strategic Council meeting in February.
According to the sources, the ministers will evaluate all aspects of bilateral ties and agreements to be signed in the future while expressing their joint will to further boost economic and trade ties to reach a trade volume of $15 billion.
They will also exchange views on how to further enhance military and defense industry cooperation, while Fidan will reiterate Türkiye’s commitment to advancing the partnership among Türkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, dubbed the R4 initiative.
The Turkish top diplomat’s visit to Cairo comes days after Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan established a defense pact. In a recent interview, Fidan underlined that Egypt, as a natural partner of these countries, would join the deal when technical preparations are completed.
The sources also said Fidan will underline the importance of joint efforts by Türkiye and Egypt for regional peace and stability.
Another key issue Fidan and Abdelatty will exchange views on is the stalled implementation of the Gaza peace plan. Fidan will reiterate the immediate need for Israel to stop its attacks on civilians, fully implement a ceasefire, and deliver uninterrupted humanitarian aid, the Turkish sources said.
The ministers will also discuss Israel’s continued attempts to destabilize Syria and Lebanon.
Fidan was in Libya to visit both Tripoli and Benghazi to emphasize Türkiye’s “One Libya” policy and its potential contributions to ensuring the political and military unity of the North African country.
