New York (GNP): Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan participated in a coordination meeting with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The meeting brought together foreign ministers from Türkiye and seven other countries as governments convened in New York for the high-level week of the UN General Assembly.
The UN General Debate began on September 22 and is scheduled to continue through September 28, bringing heads of state, government leaders and senior representatives to UN Headquarters to discuss international and regional issues.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed Fidan’s participation in the coordination meeting, which included the foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Turkish news agency Anadolu also reported that Fidan held the meeting with the participating foreign ministers during the UNGA high-level week.
The gathering provides a platform for the participating countries to exchange views on developments affecting the Middle East and the wider international environment.
The countries represented at the meeting have maintained diplomatic engagement on regional security, political developments, humanitarian issues and international cooperation.
The meeting also builds on previous coordination among several of the participating states. Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, for example, have maintained a consultation mechanism known as the R4.
Their foreign ministers met in Cairo in June 2026 and discussed regional and international developments, including security, stability, energy markets, maritime routes and international trade.
Türkiye has also participated in broader consultations involving the same group of eight countries.
In a joint statement issued earlier in September, the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE addressed developments concerning the Palestinian territories and expressed positions on measures relating to Israeli settlements.
The latest coordination meeting therefore comes within an established pattern of diplomatic consultations among regional and international partners.
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The timing of the meeting is significant because the 81st UN General Assembly is taking place amid a broad international agenda that includes conflicts and international security, climate change, pandemic preparedness, sea-level rise, sustainable development and other global challenges.
The United Nations has described the General Assembly’s high-level week as a major opportunity for governments to address interconnected international problems and strengthen cooperation.
For the participating foreign ministers, meetings on the margins of the General Assembly provide an opportunity to conduct discussions alongside the formal UN programme.
Such meetings allow governments to exchange assessments, coordinate diplomatic positions where appropriate and discuss areas of shared concern.
Pakistan’s participation also adds another dimension to its diplomatic engagement during the UNGA week.
Islamabad has been holding bilateral and multilateral meetings in New York as part of its wider participation in the 81st General Assembly session.
The coordination meeting reflects the continuing role of ministerial diplomacy in addressing regional questions. Rather than being limited to formal sessions of the General Assembly, international diplomacy during high-level week also takes place through smaller consultations among groups of countries with overlapping interests.
Türkiye’s participation through Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan comes as Ankara continues its diplomatic engagement with Middle Eastern, Asian and Gulf partners.
The presence of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE provides a broad geographical representation spanning the Middle East and Asia.
The discussions also take place against a backdrop of continuing international attention to regional security, humanitarian conditions and the need for diplomatic engagement.
The UN General Assembly’s 2026 theme focuses on restoring trust, managing transformation and strengthening the capacity of the United Nations to deliver for all.
The New York meeting consequently represents another opportunity for the participating governments to maintain direct communication and exchange views on regional and international developments while attending the world’s largest annual diplomatic gathering.
