- August 31, 2026
- Posted by: Tresmark
- Category:
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are set to hold the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Istanbul on Sunday, as the three countries move towards institutionalising their newly established security cooperation framework.
According to Pakistan's Foreign Office, the Pakistani delegation will include Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
The meeting, hosted by Turkiye, will bring together senior political, defence and military officials from all three countries. Türkiye will be represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, while Saudi Arabia's delegation will include Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman and Chief of General Staff General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili.
The discussions are expected to focus on the evolving regional and global security environment and measures to strengthen defence cooperation among the three countries.
Key areas likely to be discussed include improving coordination and operational readiness among their armed forces, expanding joint military exercises and enhancing interoperability across different areas of defence cooperation.
Defence industry collaboration is also expected to feature prominently, with participants set to explore opportunities for joint production, research and development, and cooperation in defence technology.
The three sides are further expected to discuss strengthening joint counterterrorism efforts and identifying additional areas for cooperation.
Another key objective of the meeting will be to establish institutional mechanisms for implementing initiatives under the Makkah Accord. Participants are expected to deliberate on the creation of a permanent secretariat and formulate a roadmap for future political, strategic and defence cooperation.
Pakistan's Foreign Office said the country's participation reflects its longstanding ties with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye and its commitment to promoting regional peace and stability.
The meeting comes weeks after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the Joint Defence Agreement in Makkah on August 7.
The agreement seeks to strengthen collective security, defence capabilities and deterrence among the three countries amid heightened regional uncertainty. A central provision of the pact states that an attack against one member would be considered an attack against all parties, establishing a framework for collective security cooperation.
The accord also leaves the door open for other countries to join the initiative, provided they share its commitment to international law, peace and regional stability.
The inaugural committee meeting is therefore being viewed as a significant step towards translating the agreement into practical cooperation and establishing a permanent structure for coordinated political, strategic and defence engagement.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions in the region, including the continuing conflict involving Iran and its wider implications for Gulf security and maritime trade.
Turkiye has maintained that the agreement is not directed against any particular country and does not seek to replace existing security alliances. Turkish officials have also indicated that the broader framework could potentially expand to include other regional partners.
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan following his arrival in Istanbul. The two sides expressed satisfaction over the expanding Pakistan-Turkiye relationship across political, economic, security and cultural sectors.
They also welcomed progress under the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and agreed on the early convening of its next session, while reaffirming their commitment to close coordination on regional and international issues and efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability.
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