Saudi foreign minister says defense pact with Türkiye, Pakistan reflects deep strategic ties

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud said Friday that the trilateral defense pact Riyadh signed with Türkiye and Pakistan reflects the depth of their strategic relations.

"The signing by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the president of the Republic of Türkiye, and the prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan of the Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement confirms the depth of the brotherly and strategic relations among the three countries," he said on US social media platform X.

He called the agreement an "important milestone in the path of defense cooperation."

It also represents "a culmination of the shared desire to unify efforts to confront challenges and threats affecting the security and stability of the region," he further said.

"The pact would serve our countries and peoples, reflect positively on the entire region, and pave the way for a secure future in which opportunities for development and prosperity are strengthened," he said.

The agreement was signed after a summit in the Muslim holy city of Mecca between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.