Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye mull meeting of military chiefs to assist Riyadh under Makkah defence pact: FO

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia discussed plans on Friday to convene a meeting of the three countries’ chiefs of staff to explore ways to assist Riyadh under the Makkah Defence Alliance, according to the Foreign Office (FO).

The FO statement noted that the tripartite agreement, signed on Aug 7, stipulated that an attack against any one of its parties should be considered an attack against all parties.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar from Pakistan, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a discussion on the defence pact on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Earlier, Saudi Foreign Ministry also posted on X that the three member states condemned the recent Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and discussed arrangements to convene an “urgent meeting of the chiefs of staff of the three countries” to support the Gulf state within the pact.

Later, Turkiye’s Defence Ministry said its Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu will travel to Saudi Arabia to meet his Saudi and Pakistani counterparts as part of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

In their New York meeting, the foreign ministers condemned in the “strongest terms the heinous attacks targeting the holy city of Makkah and civilian and economic facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, the FO statement said.

At the same time, it added, the ministers “commended the vigilance of the Saudi armed forces and their ability to defend the kingdom’s security”.

“They reaffirmed the kingdom’s right to take such measures as it deems appropriate to defend its security, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.”

They further discussed the current situation in the region, underscoring the importance of upholding the principles of international law, good neighbourliness, mutual respect for the sovereignty of states, and non-interference in their internal affairs, as well as ensuring the security and freedom of navigation, the statement said.

Moreover, they reiterated their determination to work together towards achieving sustainable peace and stability in the region, support efforts towards de-escalation and encourage peaceful resolution to crises.

During the meeting, the ministers also reviewed progress made towards establishing the general secretariat and committees and working groups under the Makkah agreement, as well as preparations for the commencement of their work, the FO statement said.

Earlier in the day, Dar also posted on X: “Under the framework of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), we reviewed progress towards establishing the institutional structures under the agreement and exchanged views on regional and international security issues.”

The Makkah Defence Alliance’s inaugural meeting was held on Aug 31, where officials from all member states met in Istanbul to establish the institutional structure of the alliance, and Pakistan was picked to head its secretariat in Riyadh. Retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood has been appointed as the first secretary general.

The latest meeting in New York in relevance to the defence pact took place against the backdrop of Riyadh being dragged into fresh fighting between the Houthis and the Yemeni government, with the former declaring a maritime blockade on the kingdom and targeting its ships in the Red Sea. In recent weeks, Houthis have also carried out attacks in Saudi Arabia.

A day earlier, Saudi Arabia intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis after issuing warnings for several regions, including Makkah. This was the second time that a warning was issued for the holy city in the last two weeks.

As Yemen’s Houthi rebels continue to attack Saudi Arabia, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Sept 18 said that Pakistan would go to “any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia, adding that Islamabad’s commitment to the kingdom’s security was “unconditional”.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also vowed to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty and security.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman this week denounced the Houthis as a “terrorist militia” in a rare statement. He condemned the Houthi attempt “to target Makkah”, calling it “a provocation to Muslims around the world”, according to the official Saudi news agency.

Additional input from Reuters.