Pakistan, Kuwait move to ramp up defence ties, sign 'Protocol Agreement-2026'

Ministry says under new agreement, Armed Forces of Pakistan will extend assistance to Kuwait in diverse fields

Pakistan and Kuwait on Thursday signed the ‘Protocol Agreement-2026’ to expand bilateral defence cooperation and enhance their existing military cooperation framework.

“The Protocol Agreement-2026 was signed between Pakistan and Kuwait, significantly enhancing the existing military cooperation framework established under the Defence Cooperation Agreement-2023,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.

According to the statement, a high-level Kuwaiti delegation, led by Kuwaiti Defence Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Saleem Al-Sabah accompanied by the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Kuwait, Lieutenant General Khalid Darj Saad Al-Shriaan, called on Defence Minister Khawaja Asif at the Ministry of Defence, Rawalpindi.

“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest were discussed, with particular focus on bilateral defence relations, security cooperation and further strengthening defence ties between Pakistan and Kuwait,” it said.

The ministry said that under the new agreement, the Armed Forces of Pakistan would extend assistance to the Armed Forces of Kuwait in diverse fields, including training, capacity building, border management and other mutually agreed areas of defence collaboration.

“The agreement reflects the deep trust, mutual respect and shared strategic interests underpinning the longstanding defence relationship between the two brotherly countries,” said the statement.

It further added that both sides reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen this partnership in support of mutual security and regional peace and stability.

Pakistan and Kuwait have signed the “Protocol Agreement-2026,” significantly expanding bilateral military cooperation under the Defence Cooperation Agreement-2023. The agreement was signed during a meeting between Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and his Kuwaiti counterpart… pic.twitter.com/GOLQES33zW

— Pakistan TV (@PakTVGlobal) August 27, 2026

Earlier, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir met Kuwait’s Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces Lt Gen Khalid Darj Saad Al-Shriaan at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi with the two sides discussing regional security and ways to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, the military’s media wing reported.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting focused on matters of mutual interest, regional security and defence collaboration between Pakistan and Kuwait. “Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing institutional ties and expanding mutually beneficial defence collaboration between the two brotherly countries,” it said.

Read: CDF presses for end to US-Iran stalemate

 

The Kuwaiti delegation, led by Defence Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Saleem Al-Sabah, appreciated the “professionalism, operational excellence and valuable contributions” of the Pakistan Armed Forces towards regional peace and stability, ISPR said.

The engagement reaffirmed Pakistan and Kuwait’s resolve to further consolidate their “historic and brotherly relations” into a strong and enduring defence partnership, the statement read. The two countries also expressed their commitment to strengthening defence ties in a manner that contributes to regional security and stability, it added.

برخلاف برخی گمانه‌زنی‌های نادرست رسانه‌ای، سفر فیلد مارشال عاصم منیر فرمانده ارتش کشور دوست پاکستان به ایران بسیار ثمربخش و واجد دستاوردهای دیپلماتیک بسیار ارزشمندی بود که نتایج آن به‌زودی آشکار خواهد شد.

— سيد مهدي طباطبايي (@tabaei1356) August 25, 2026

Earlier this week, Iranian President’s Office Deputy for Communications and Information Dissemination Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabaei described CDF Munir’s visit to Iran as “highly fruitful”, saying it produced “highly valuable diplomatic achievements”.

In a post on X, Tabatabaei dismissed “inaccurate media speculation” about the visit, saying its results would “soon become apparent”. “Contrary to some inaccurate media speculation, the visit of Field Marshal Asim Munir, commander of the army of friendly Pakistan, to Iran was highly fruitful and yielded highly valuable diplomatic achievements,” he said.