Makkah alliance military chiefs vow to ‘immediately’ translate commitments into effective military cooperation: ISPR

AI Summary

Chiefs of Defence from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye reaffirmed their commitment to immediately enhance military cooperation under the Makkah Defence Alliance amid heightened security concerns including maritime blockades and attacks by the Houthis. The coordination includes intelligence sharing and collective defense aimed at protecting Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and infrastructure.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye have expressed a shared determination to “immediately translate” their commitments under the Makkah Defence Alliance into effective military cooperation, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday. The commitment was made at a meeting of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir and the chiefs of general staff of Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in Riyadh on Friday. The meeting took place against the backdrop of heightened security concerns in the kingdom, with the Houthis and the Yemeni government engaged in renewed fighting. The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia and attacked ships in the Red Sea, while also carrying out attacks in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Earlier, the Foreign Office (FO) had said the three countries were considering a meeting of their military chiefs to discuss ways to assist Riyadh under the Makkah Defence Alliance. According to the ISPR, the participants discussed measures to advance cooperation among their armed forces, including enhanced intelligence sharing, military coordination and integration of capabilities. The measures would help strengthen deterrence and collective defence, the military’s media wing said. The participants also reviewed the security situation and threats facing Saudi Arabia and strongly “resented” attacks targeting the holy city of Makkah as well as civilian and economic infrastructure. They appreciated the vigilance and professionalism of the Saudi armed forces in ensuring the safety of the people and security of the kingdom, according to the ISPR. The military chiefs further affirmed their commitment to collective defence, which, the ISPR said, demonstrated the resolve of the three countries to defend Saudi Arabia’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ISPR said the Riyadh meeting reflected the strength of the defence partnership among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, as well as their shared determination to implement the commitments under the tripartite defence agreement. The participants also commended the longstanding relations and mutual trust between the three countries and their armed forces. The Makkah alliance was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in Makkah on Aug 7 and the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee was subsequently held in Istanbul on Aug 31, where the three countries agreed to establish a permanent secretariat in Riyadh and decided that Pakistan would provide the secretary general for its first three-year term. Pakistan appointed retired Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood as the alliance’s first secretary general, taking another step towards putting the institutional structure of the pact in place. The earlier New York ministerial meeting indicated that the three governments wanted the military chiefs to examine practical options. Therefore, the Riyadh meeting was expected to begin that process, although any decision on specific deployments or military assistance would depend on the Saudi requirement and the agreement reached by the three sides. Turkiye has already signalled its willingness to address Saudi military requirements, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan saying last week that Ankara was ready to help with “military needs, especially on some technical issues”. Pakistan has also repeatedly affirmed its commitment to the agreement.