The conflict concerning the Strait of Hormuz, the Houthi attacks in Yemen, in Saudi Arabia and on freedom of navigation but also the impact of the increasing escalation of Russian attacks on grain shipments in the Black Sea are massive challenges that we can only tackle if we go beyond established formats and pull in the same direction. That is why I am meeting our partners from France, the UK, Italy, as well as Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Istanbul today at the initiative of Germany and Turkey.

We are united by the massive impact that these deadlocked conflicts are having on the economy and security of our countries – and by the will to seek new ways to bring about solutions.

We, eight countries standing together, are sending a message: We do not accept that Iran and the Houthi militia are blackmailing world trade and continuing to stranglehold global supplies of energy and fertiliser. The wanton attacks on freedom of navigation and on neighbouring countries must end. The ongoing uncertainty is not acceptable for the people in the region who are going hungry or are worried they are no longer safe in their own four walls.

The same holds true for us in Europe and across the world. We are all feeling the effects of the attacks on shipping routes – whether at the petrol pump or in the supermarket. Elsewhere, there is a risk of famine if fertiliser does not arrive in time where it is crucial for basic supplies.

Russia is now also targeting freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and with it the lifeline for so many people. When Russia attacks grain supplies, it is fully aware that this can lead to food shortages in the Global South. It is the world’s poorest who suffer here, as they are particularly dependent on wheat – but also our partners, for example Turkey, the country that processes the most wheat for global trade.

At our first meeting in this format, we Europeans and the four regional powers want to explore together how we can inject momentum into efforts to resolve the conflicts in the Strait of Hormuz, at Bab al-Mandab and in the Black Sea.