Pakistan, Saudi, Turkiye sign defense pact, say attack on one is attack on all

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkiye on Friday signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, agreeing that an attack on any one of the three nations will be treated as an attack on all, according to a statement issued by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The agreement was signed during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defense, hosted by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah. 

According to the statement, the three leaders reviewed bilateral and trilateral relations as well as "a number of issues of mutual interest" before signing the agreement.

The pact is guided by the "longstanding historical ties" among the three countries, their "enduring bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity," and their shared strategic interests and defense cooperation, the ministry said.

The agreement "reflects 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 statement added.

Under the agreement, the three countries committed to strengthening collective deterrence against external aggression.

"The agreement stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all," the statement said, while also providing for expanded defense cooperation across all sectors.

PM Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the summit at the invitation of Saudi Arabia's Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Long-standing partnership

PM Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday on a three-day official visit.

The visit comes as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia continue to broaden a strategic partnership that has expanded beyond traditional political and defense cooperation to include investment, economic collaboration, internal security, sports and institutional engagement. 

Pakistan's FO said the visit reflects the "longstanding partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia anchored in decades of mutual trust, cooperation and brotherhood," adding that although the visit is taking place "against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Gulf," it "carries significance beyond the immediate crises and short-term considerations."

PM Sharif is leading a high-level delegation that includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi.