Dar, Saudi and Turkish counterparts review progress on institutionalising tripartite defence pact
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met his Saudi Arabian and Turkish counterparts on Friday to review progress on institutionalising the tripartite Makkah Defence Alliance.
The agreement — signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on August 7 — empowers member states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all.
Its inaugural meeting was held on Aug 31, where officials from all member states met in Istanbul to establish the institutional structure of the alliance, and Pakistan was picked to head its secretariat in Riyadh. Retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood has been appointed as the first secretary general.
On Friday, Dar met Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he said in a post on the social media platform X.
“Under the framework of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), we reviewed progress towards establishing the institutional structures under the agreement and exchanged views on regional and international security issues,” he said.
‘Urgent’ meeting of chiefs of staff to be held
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry, in a post on X, said the meeting was held within the framework of the agreement, where the three member states condemned the recent Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and discussed arrangements to convene an “urgent meeting of the chiefs of staff of the three countries” to support the Gulf state within the pact.
“They commended the vigilance of the Saudi armed forces and their ability to defend the kingdom’s security,” the statement said, adding that Saudi Arabia held the right to take measures “it deems appropriate” in self-defence.
It added that the three sides reviewed progress on the establishment of the general secretariat, committees, and working groups, as well as “preparations for the commencement of their activities”.
The three also exchanged views on the prevailing situation in the region and underscored the “importance of upholding the principles of international law, good neighbourliness, mutual respect for state sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, and ensuring the security and freedom of maritime navigation”.
The three sides reiterated their determination to work towards peace and stability in the region and push for peaceful solutions to existing crises, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
Later, Turkiye’s Defence Ministry said its Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu will travel to Saudi Arabia to meet his Saudi and Pakistani counterparts as part of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Fresh fighting between the Houthis and the Yemeni government has dragged in Riyadh, with the Houthis declaring a maritime blockade on the kingdom and targeting its ships in the Red Sea.
A day earlier, Saudi Arabia intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis after issuing warnings for several regions, including Makkah. This was the second time that a warning was issued for the holy city in the last two weeks.
As Yemen’s Houthi rebels continue to attack Saudi Arabia, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Sept 18 said that Pakistan would go to “any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia, adding that Islamabad’s commitment to the kingdom’s security was “unconditional”.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also vowed to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty and security.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman this week denounced the Houthis as a “terrorist militia” in a rare statement. He condemned the Houthi attempt “to target Makkah”, calling it “a provocation to Muslims around the world”, according to the official Saudi news agency.
Additional input from Reuters.
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