Syria says discussions underway on joining Mecca pact

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Saturday that "discussions are currently underway to evaluate Syria's entry into the Mecca alliance," a regional pact that brings together Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Shaibani's remarks came during a session on regional security at the Manama Dialogue 2026, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

He said Damascus was an "integral" part of regional security and would support any framework aimed at protecting regional stability.

The minister stressed that the region was "in greater need than ever" of developing joint deterrence and defense systems.

Addressing the conflict in Yemen, Shaibani reaffirmed Syria's support for the Yemeni government in restoring its sovereignty and stability across the country.

He also urged all parties to support the unity and sovereignty of states.

Separately, the Syrian foreign minister said Israel has carried out more than 1,000 attacks on his country in less than two years, killing dozens of people.

"Our territory has been subjected to more than 1,000 Israeli attacks in less than two years, killing dozens.

"How can calls for border control and placing weapons exclusively under state control be justified while Syrian sovereignty is violated and targeted on a daily basis?" he asked.

Condemning the Israeli attacks, Shaibani called for a return to the lines in place before Dec. 8, 2024, and implementation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

He stressed that the Golan Heights is Syrian territory and that UN Security Council Resolution 497 serves as the reference on this matter.

Since the fall of the Assad regime in Syria on Dec. 8, 2024, Israel has occupied the Syrian buffer zone established under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and set up military positions inside and outside it, a move the UN described as a violation of the agreement.