Pak-Saudi-Turkiye defence pact open to any other country in region, ‘purely defensive’

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said on Sunday that the defence pact signed between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye remained “open to any country in the region” willing to uphold its fundamental principles.
He also clarified that the agreement was “purely defensive” in nature.
The indication that an expansion of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed in the Saudi city on Friday, was possible came a day after the Turkish foreign minister said Egypt could be joining the pact.
The pact aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empowers its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.
Dar further elaborated on the pact, which he referred to as the Makkah Accord, in a post on X.
“The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement […] reflects the depth of the brotherly relations between the leadership and peoples of the three countries.
“The Makkah Accord is the culmination of years of discussions and coordination, with a common desire to strengthen strategic cooperation in addressing multifarious peace and security challenges and advancing regional peace, stability and prosperity,” he said.
He clarified that the pact did not abrogate or replace any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements between the signatory countries, or with other countries or organisations.
Reiterating that any external armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all under the pact, he said it was consistent with the inherent right of individual and collective self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Moreover, he said, the accord was “purely defensive” in nature.
“It is not targeted against any country and its sole purpose is to further strengthen our ongoing efforts towards peace, stability and prosperity in the wider region.”
“The Makkah Accord remains open to any country in the region willing to uphold its fundamental principles and resolve differences through mutual respect, cooperation and peaceful means,” he said, adding that the pact was consistent with the fundamental pillars of Islamabad’s foreign policy.
“Pakistan looks forward to continuing to work closely with all brotherly countries in the region towards lasting peace and stability. We remain committed to advancing the cause of peaceful resolution of all conflicts and building a more secure, stable and prosperous future for our peoples,” he concluded.
Later in the day, Dar and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand exchanged views on the regional situation, including the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, the Foreign Office (FO) said.
Dar informed Anand of the “essence of the agreement and the joint resolve of the three countries to contribute to regional peace, stability and security”.