Somalia on Friday hailed a new joint defense agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, calling the pact a landmark move to bolster collective security and deepen defense cooperation.
In a statement, the defense ministry said the agreement establishes a strategic partnership capable of addressing shared security challenges and advancing long-term defense cooperation among the three countries.
The ministry expressed confidence that the pact would make a significant contribution to regional peace and stability while reinforcing the principles of cooperation, solidarity and shared responsibility.
It added that the agreement would serve the interests of the region’s peoples and support international peace and security.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed Friday following a summit in the Muslim holy city of Mecca attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The agreement between the three Muslim states brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Türkiye, which has NATO's second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry. It would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran.
