Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan sign joint defence agreement

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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a joint defence agreement in Jeddah on Friday, according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The three countries also issued a joint statement following the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, held under the invitation of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said that the agreement was signed within the vicinity of the Holy Kaaba.

According to the statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia, where they were received by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah.

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During the summit, the leaders reviewed the longstanding relations between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, as well as a number of issues of mutual interest.

The statement said the agreement was guided by the historical ties among the three countries, their shared bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity, strategic interests, and longstanding defence cooperation.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Muhammed Shehbaz Sharif, signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, reflecting their commitment to further strengthening their collective security and to promoting peace, security, and stability in the region and beyond, in pursuit of a secure and prosperous future.

The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three countries shall be regarded as an attack against them all.

It also provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three states, the statement added.

Regional Security Cooperation

Pakistan has sought to mediate efforts to end the US-Iran war, while Turkey has played a diplomatic role in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already announced a joint defence pact in 2025, a move that drew attention because Pakistan is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-equipped state.