Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia to hold first meeting under Makkah defence pact

Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia will hold the inaugural meeting of a joint political and defence committee in Istanbul on Monday, marking the first formal meeting under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed earlier this month.

Pakistan will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the Foreign Office said.

The Strategic Political and Defence Committee was established under the trilateral agreement to strengthen coordination among the three countries on political and security matters.

The meeting will also be attended by the foreign and defence ministers, as well as the chiefs of general staff, from Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.

“Pakistan’s participation in the meeting signifies Pakistan’s historic bonds of friendship with the brotherly countries of Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, as well as its desire for lasting regional peace and stability,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement.

Pact signed in Makkah

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 in the Saudi holy city of Makkah.

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

The pact was signed amid heightened security concerns and escalating tensions in West Asia, with the three countries seeking closer defence and strategic coordination.

Pakistan has described the agreement as part of its efforts to strengthen regional peace and security, while the arrangement has also been viewed as a significant step towards closer security cooperation among the three predominantly Muslim countries.

Potential expansion

The agreement has attracted interest beyond the three signatories, with Bangladesh having already expressed interest in joining the arrangement.

The proposed framework could therefore evolve into a broader regional security mechanism if additional countries eventually become part of it.

The Istanbul meeting is expected to focus on establishing mechanisms for implementing the agreement and strengthening coordination between the three countries' political, diplomatic and defence establishments.

The meeting comes as tensions remain high across West Asia and regional powers face growing security challenges, giving greater significance to the trilateral defence arrangement.