ISLAMABAD: The meeting under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement of the Chief of Defense Forces and Chiefs of General Staff of the States from the signatory countries was held in Riyadh on Friday.
Earlier this week, Pakistan appointed retired Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood as the first Secretary General pursuant to agreement, with the former senior military commander set to lead the framework’s General Secretariat in Riyadh. The appointment followed the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee established under MJDA, which brought together the foreign and defense ministers and military chiefs of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in Istanbul on Aug 31.
According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chiefs of all three countries in the pact, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye all participated in the meeting, reviewing the security situation and the threats facing the Kingdom.
The meeting strongly resented the attacks targeting Makkah, one of the holiest sites in the Islamic religion, and civilian and economic infrastructure.
“They appreciated the vigilance and professionalism of the Saudi Armed Forces for ensuring safety of the people and security of the Kingdom,” the statement issued by ISPR said.
The participants discussed ways to further advance cooperation among the armed forces to enhance intelligence sharing, military coordination, and capability integration, commended the longstanding relations and mutual trust between the three countries.
“They noted that their meeting in Riyadh reflects the strength of their defense partnership and their shared determination to immediately translate the commitments of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement into effective military cooperation,” the press release said.
“The participants strongly affirmed their commitment to collective defense thereby demonstrating the resolve of the three countries in defending the security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” it added.