New Delhi (India) August 7: Friday saw a defence pact being signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in the city of Mecca that has formally committed them to treating an armed attack against any one of the three countries as an attack against them all.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement has been signed at the conclusion of the Makkah Summit on Joint Defence, which has been organised at Al-Safa Palace in Mecca, following almost a year of negotiations.
Mecca Summit Seals Historic Defence Pact
The trilateral agreement intends to further enhance the capacity for collective deterrence against external threats and deepen defence ties at all levels among the three countries, as reiterated in a joint statement that had been issued post summit.
It said, “The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates 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.”
Agreement Expands Defence Cooperation
The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs corroborated the terms of the pact in a statement released subsequently.
“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 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,” said Pakistan.
Strategic Strengths Unite Three Nations
The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey agreement is a natural development of the mutual defence pact that had been put in place by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan last year, clearly signalling that it intended to draw in additional countries into the fold.
With the participation of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, there is a unique coalition that has been put in place where all three possess distinct advantages; Saudi Arabia with its colossal financial strength, Turkey with its refined defence industry and prominent position as a leader in drone technology, and Pakistan with its nuclear capabilities as the only Islamic country to possess them along with a tested military.
Iran Criticises Newly Signed Defence Agreement
The pact has been signed amid soaring tensions as an outcome of the US-Israeli military aggression against Iran that has underlined the weaknesses that exist in the Gulf security framework and also threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post that had been shared on X, Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of Iran's Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, has criticized the pact and recommended that Saudi Arabia reassess its strategy with regard to security issues.
"The Saudis should know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided milking by the Americans did not bring them security. Change your policies so that you do not have to #BegForSecurity from others," he said.