Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye pledge closer defence cooperation

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan convened military chiefs' staff discussions on Friday to address methods of supporting Riyadh under the Makkah Defence Alliance. While the Turkish defence ministry released images of the three military officials in military attire, confirming the meeting's occurrence, no specific location was disclosed.

General Selcuk Bayraktarovlu, Turkey's Chief of General Staff, had planned to attend the meeting in Saudi Arabia. The summit took place at a time when the kingdom was embroiled in new conflicts between the Houthis and the Yemeni government, with the Houthis declaring a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and striking its ships in the Red Sea.

In recent weeks, Houthis have also perpetrated assaults in Saudi Arabia. The foreign office in Islamabad had announced that the three countries were evaluating a military chiefs' meeting to explore ways to aid Riyadh under the Makkah pact. This followed a deliberation between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The foreign ministers of the three countries denounced the "horrible attacks targeting the holy city of Makkah and civilian and economic facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" in the strongest possible terms, the foreign office statement revealed. They also affirmed Saudi Arabia's right to implement measures for its security, in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

The ministers further deliberated on the current regional situation, emphasizing the significance of upholding international law, good neighborliness, mutual respect for state sovereignty, and non-interference in their internal affairs, as well as ensuring security and freedom of navigation. They reiterated their commitment to collaborate on attaining lasting peace and stability in the region, while supporting de-escalation efforts and advocating for peaceful crisis resolutions.

The ministers also examined the advancement towards setting up the general secretariat and committees, as well as preparations for the commencement of their work, as per the Makkah accord, the foreign office statement added.