Saudi, Turkish FMs discuss regional developments on sidelines of Joint Defense Committee meeting

Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir met with Turkish National Defence Minister Yaşar Güler in Istanbul on Monday, ahead of the inaugural meeting of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. The Turkish Ministry of National Defence shared a video of the meeting on social media platform X.

The Turkish minister also held separate discussions with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, alongside Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu. According to Radio Pakistan, Asif and Turkish leadership agreed to strengthen joint defence cooperation in the region.

The meetings occur prior to the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, formed under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia. The committee is scheduled to convene today, with Pakistan represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with Asif and CDF Munir.

Pakistan's involvement in the meeting highlights the nation's enduring friendship with Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, as well as its commitment to regional peace and stability, stated the Foreign Office on Sunday. The first ministerial meeting of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan following the recent Makkah pact is seen as a significant step towards establishing a framework for trilateral strategic and defence cooperation.

The participants intend to tackle enhancing defence capabilities, the interoperability of their armed forces, and cooperation in the defence industry, according to an AFP report. The meeting aims to outline the framework for a secretariat and other necessary mechanisms, as well as establish a roadmap for forthcoming steps. The joint defense pact, signed on August 7, designates that an attack against one member state shall be considered an attack against all member states.