Mecca Agreement Threatens Regional Stability: The Jerusalem Post

Pakistan has announced that the joint defense agreement signed with Turkey and Saudi Arabia in Mecca is not directed against any country and that other states may also join. This was stated by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on X.

According to him, the Mecca agreement is of a 'purely defensive' nature and aims to strengthen efforts to ensure peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. Dar noted that the agreement is the result of several years of discussions and mutual consultations. Its purpose is to deepen the strategic cooperation among the three countries to address various security challenges.

The agreement also stipulates that an external armed attack against one of the three countries would be considered an attack against all three. The Pakistani Foreign Minister emphasized that this principle aligns with the right to individual and collective self-defense as provided by Article 51 of the UN Charter.

At the same time, Dar stressed that the new agreement does not replace existing bilateral or multilateral arrangements between the three countries and does not affect their agreements with other states or organizations.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey signed the agreement on August 7 in Mecca, in the presence of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation also welcomed the agreement, describing it as an 'important strategic step.' The organization’s Secretary-General Hussein Ibrahim Taha stated that it could contribute to strengthening security and stability in the region and the Islamic world.