Agreement to strengthen collective defence, military cooperation: FO
ISLAMABAD: In a landmark move in geopolitics, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan have signed the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit Joint Defence Agreement, aiming to build a tripartite defence partnership to strengthen collective defence, military cooperation, and stability in the region, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi announced in a statement here on Friday.
The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulate that any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all.
It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three States, the statement added.
At the gracious invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif paid a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the FO spokesperson said.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received the President of Türkiye and the Prime Minister of Pakistan at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah, where the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence was held, during which the distinguished relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan were reviewed, along with some issues of mutual interest.
“Guided by the longstanding historical ties among the three States, based on the enduring bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity that unite them, and building upon their shared strategic interests and longstanding defence cooperation, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, reflecting the three States’ shared 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 Joint Defence Agreement is a major development in terms of the geopolitics of the region because this comes on the heels of an event where Saudi Arabia and Türkiye’s relations had been at a historic low ebb following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018.
The formation of a trilateral defence partnership among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan is far from being an ordinary security partnership at this critical juncture in the wake of bloody conflict in the region following the US-Iran war.
This development highlights a strategic rapprochement between the two countries, as well as, a convergence of interest geared towards enhancing regional security and defense cooperation. It is worth noting that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in Riyadh last September, pledging that any attack on either nation would be considered as an act of aggression against both.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026