Dar follows up on Makkah defence pact

FM discusses commitments with Saudi, Turkish counterparts

ISLAMABAD:

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday held separate telephone conversations with his Saudi and Turkish counterparts to follow up on commitments reached under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. He later also held a conversation with the Egyptian foreign minister.

According to a statement posted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on X, Dar held a telephone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, during which the two exchanged views on regional and international developments, including matters of mutual interest at multilateral fora.

They also discussed the follow-up on the understandings reached at the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the pact in Istanbul and agreed to remain in close contact.

Dar also spoke with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan and discussed "follow-up on the understandings reached" at the inaugural meeting of the committee, while exploring ways to "further advance cooperation of the Makkah agreement.

According to MoFA, FM Dar thanked Fidan for hosting the inaugural meeting, and the two foreign ministers discussed ways to "further advance cooperation" under the Makkah Defence Alliance.

The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on regional and international developments. They also discussed matters of mutual interest and opportunities to further strengthen cooperation at multilateral fora. The two ministers agreed to "remain in close contact", the Foreign Office said.

Dar also spoke with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, with the two foreign ministers discussing Pakistan-Egypt bilateral relations and exchanging views on regional and international developments.

The Egyptian foreign minister also invited Dar to undertake a bilateral visit to Egypt at his earliest convenience. The two FMs reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral ties. They agreed to remain engaged and involved on regional security matters.

The two ministers also agreed to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

On August 7, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye formalised their longstanding strategic relationship through the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, a trilateral security framework aimed at strengthening collective deterrence, enhancing military cooperation and promoting regional stability.

At the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the agreement in Istanbul on August 31, Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia agreed to further institutionalise their cooperation, including through a secretariat in Saudi Arabia.