(L to R) Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan./Reuters/ANI Photo
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday signed a joint defence agreement under which an attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against them all, amid escalating tensions in West Asia.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the 'Makkah Joint Defence Agreement' during a meeting at Al-Safa Palace in Mecca, according to a joint statement.
The agreement, signed during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, is "intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three States shall be regarded as an attack against them all," it added.
It further provides for the "enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three States," the statement said.
The development comes at a time when the West Asia conflict has widened across multiple fronts, including the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, prompting Gulf states to strengthen regional security coordination.
Sharif had visited Saudi Arabia in April, during which he had held talks with the Kingdom's top leadership. -- PTI
