Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye sign Makkah joint defence agreement

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, pledging to strengthen collective security and defence cooperation among the three countries.

MAKKAH: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, pledging to strengthen collective security and defence cooperation among the three countries.

The agreement was signed on Friday during a high-level summit at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah, where Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman received Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

According to the agreement, the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collective security and promoting peace, stability and security in the region and beyond.

The agreement is based on the longstanding relations and shared strategic interests of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. It also highlights their continued defence cooperation and commitment to closer coordination on security matters.

Any attack to be treated as an attack on all three

A key provision of the agreement states that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all three.

The pact is intended to enhance collective deterrence against acts of aggression and expand cooperation across various areas of defence.

The agreement also seeks to strengthen military and security coordination among the three states and build a framework for closer cooperation in the face of regional security challenges.

The summit brought together the leaders at a time of heightened tensions and instability across the Middle East. Recent reporting had indicated that the three countries were preparing to deepen defence coordination through a joint pact.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

The leaders also reviewed bilateral and regional matters of mutual interest and discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation.

The Makkah agreement marks a significant development in defence ties among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, establishing a stronger trilateral framework for collective security and defence cooperation.