GCC and Arab League Sec-Gen Discuss Cooperation

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan have formalized a new defense pact, the Makkah Agreement for Joint Defense, signed during a summit in Makkah. This agreement aims to establish strategic, political, and military mechanisms, including joint exercises and deepened defense industry cooperation, according to Türkiye's defense ministry. The pact's fundamental goal is to place defense and military ties on a more institutional and sustainable footing.

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Under the accord, strategic political ‌and military mechanisms plan to be ‌established involving the Defense Ministers, Foreign Ministers, and Chiefs of ‌General Staff/Armed Forces Commanders, and that coordination among the three countries ‌will be conducted at the highest level.

The agreement outlines the creation of strategic political and military mechanisms involving the Defense Ministers, Foreign Ministers, and Chiefs of General Staff. This high-level coordination is intended to strengthen joint deterrence, defense coordination, and integration among the three nations. A key provision is the principle of collective defense: an armed attack against any one of the parties will be considered an attack against all three, bolstering their collective security against shared threats.

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The agreement is aimed at strengthening joint deterrence, as well as defense coordination and integration among the three countries.

Officials from the participating countries have emphasized that the Makkah Agreement is not intended to form a closed military or sectarian bloc. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that the agreement is open to participation from all "brotherly countries" seeking regional peace, prosperity, and stability. A Saudi official further clarified that the pact is focused on building sustainable defense capabilities and does not involve nuclear ambitions or an arms race. Türkiye indicated that expanding the agreement to other nations would depend on first establishing the necessary institutional and regulatory frameworks.

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It establishes a framework for a long-term defense partnership and strengthens deterrence, coordination and integration, contributing to regional and global security and stability.