Istanbul, Aug. 31 (SANA) The first meeting of the Political and Strategic Defense Committee established under the Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia began in Istanbul on Monday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the committee, comprising the foreign and defense ministers and chiefs of staff of the three countries, is discussing international security, defense capabilities and interoperability among their armed forces.
The talks also cover cooperation in defense industries, including joint production and research and development, as well as joint efforts to combat terrorism.
The committee is expected to establish a framework for a permanent secretariat and other mechanisms to guide cooperation and draw up a roadmap for future steps.
Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement in Mecca on August 7.
The pact aims to strengthen defense cooperation and commitments to regional and global peace and stability, based on burden-sharing and a shared understanding of security.
It also seeks to strengthen collective deterrence and stipulates that an armed attack on any of the three countries will be considered an attack on all three.
kA/MF
