Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday hailed the new joint defense agreement with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia as a historic step toward strengthening regional peace and security.
"Honoured to sign the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement alongside my dear brothers, HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and H.E. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," Sharif said in a post on X.
He described Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan as "three brotherly nations, united by faith, friendship and a shared resolve for peace and security."
Sharif expressed hope that the agreement "will remain a shield of peace for generations to come" and contribute to the prosperity of the three countries as well as the wider Muslim world.
He also praised Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, for his "untiring efforts and utmost dedication," which he said contributed significantly to the conclusion of the defense agreement.
On Friday, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement at a trilateral summit in Mecca, pledging to strengthen collective security, deepen defense cooperation and promote peace and stability in the region and beyond.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Shehbaz Sharif during the summit held at Al-Safa Palace.
According to information obtained from Turkish officials, the agreement is a defense-oriented cooperation arrangement that targets no country and is designed to strengthen commitments to regional and global peace, stability and prosperity through burden-sharing and a common security approach.
The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries shall be regarded as an attack against them all, the officials added.
