ISTANBUL: The inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, began in Istanbul on Monday, bringing together senior political and military officials from Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir are representing Pakistan at the high-level trilateral meeting.
Foreign and defence ministers, along with chiefs of general staff, from Türkiye and Saudi Arabia are also attending the meeting.
Pakistan’s participation reflects its longstanding ties with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia and its stated commitment to regional peace, stability and security.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed August 7 and provides for collective defense among the three countries. Under the pact, an armed attack against any one of the countries would be considered an attack against all three, broadly similar to NATO’s Article 5 collective-defense principle.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after the first session that work was underway on a roadmap for other countries to participate in the joint defense pact.
Fidan said the meeting was aimed at promoting regional peace, stability and prosperity and expressed confidence that decisions taken during the talks would produce meaningful results.
The committee is expected to define shared responsibilities amid growing regional and global tensions and discuss regional and international security challenges, he said.
Fidan said the meeting would focus on strengthening the defense capabilities of the three countries and improving coordination among their armed forces.
The agenda also includes joint efforts against terrorism and cooperation in the defense industry, including joint production, research and development.
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The participants will also consider a framework for establishing a secretariat and other mechanisms to coordinate and guide joint activities under the agreement.
