MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye on Friday signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, a landmark trilateral pact aimed at strengthening collective security, enhancing military cooperation and promoting regional stability amid a challenging security environment.
The agreement was signed by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a summit in Makkah.
In a joint statement, the three governments said the agreement reflects the depth of their longstanding strategic partnership and their shared commitment to safeguarding not only their national security but also peace, stability and prosperity across the wider region.
The pact is the culmination of years of discussions and coordination among the three countries to establish a framework for confronting shared security challenges and military threats, guided by the principle of regional ownership, the statement said.
A central provision of the agreement states that any external armed attack against one of the three signatory states will be regarded as an attack against all, reaffirming their commitment to each other’s safety, security and territorial integrity. The statement said this commitment is based on the right of individual and collective self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
The three countries said the agreement would enable them to develop and integrate their defence capabilities, expand military cooperation and strengthen interoperability to deter threats against their territories. It also seeks to increase cooperation in the defence industry while improving coordination on regional security issues.
Officials emphasized that the agreement is purely defensive in nature and does not replace or supersede existing bilateral or multilateral defence arrangements involving any of the three countries. Any measures adopted under the pact, they said, would be undertaken exclusively for defensive purposes.
The joint statement said the agreement comes at a time of increasing regional instability and unresolved conflicts, describing the current security environment as a key factor behind the decision to formalize closer defence cooperation.
The three governments also announced that the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement would remain open to other regional countries willing to uphold its core principles, including regional ownership, mutual respect, peaceful dispute resolution and cooperative security.
The agreement is expected to provide a formal framework for closer defence coordination among Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye while reinforcing their long-term strategic partnership in response to evolving regional security challenges.
