Pakistan, Turkiye agree to strengthen regional defence cooperation
Khawaja Asif meets Turkish counterpart ahead of inaugural meeting of Strategic Political and Defence Committee today
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif met with his Turkish counterpart Yaşar Güler in Istanbul on Monday to bolster regional defence cooperation, ahead of the inaugural Strategic Political and Defence Committee meeting. The committee, established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, will convene foreign and defence ministers alongside military chiefs from the three nations.
Turkish officials included Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, who accompanied Minister of National Defence Yasar Güler. Pakistan's participation underscores its longstanding ties with Turkey and Saudi Arabia, as well as its commitment to regional peace and stability. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, represented Pakistan at the Istanbul meeting.
The first Strategic Political and Defence Committee meeting marks a significant step in implementing the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed in Makkah on August 7. The agreement establishes a collective defence commitment akin to Article 5 of NATO, pledging mutual protection against armed attacks on any of the three nations.
Written by urgent.news from The Express Tribune - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
