The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has sent a “message of unity and peace throughout the region,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday.
Sharif made the remarks during a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al Fadley, according to a statement from the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office.
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the pact at a trilateral summit in Mecca on August 7, pledging to strengthen collective security, deepen defence cooperation and promote regional peace and stability.
The agreement was signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Al-Safa Palace.
Sharif said the pact had “brought the three countries even closer together”.
Bangladesh considers joining pact
Bangladesh has said it would consider it “positively” if invited to join the agreement by the three founding members.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman told parliament on Thursday that Dhaka would consider an invitation if Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan asked Bangladesh to join.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the agreement was a “defensive framework aimed at safeguarding peace and promoting regional stability.”
He said the pact remained open to countries that shared its commitments to collective obligations and common security interests.
“Any formal request will be considered in consultation with our partners in Riyadh and Ankara,” Andrabi said, adding that implementation of the agreement remained at an early stage.
