US President Donald Trump has welcomed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, calling it a “big, bold, important first step”.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the pact reflected growing cooperation among countries in the Middle East and would strengthen their ability to defend themselves.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for his support, saying Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye would continue working to strengthen the security of their countries and the wider region.
The three countries signed the agreement on Aug 7, under which an attack on any one of the signatories would be treated as an attack on all three. The pact also seeks to enhance military and defence-industry cooperation.
Shehbaz and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar have stressed that the agreement is defensive in nature. Turkish officials have indicated that other regional countries could eventually join the arrangement.
Kuwait, Bahrain and Somalia have welcomed the agreement, while Iran has also expressed support for regional security mechanisms based on cooperation among neighbouring countries.
