RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan held military chiefs of staff talks in Riyadh to support the kingdom as Yemen’s Houthis ramped up attacks, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said.
The senior military officials agreed on Friday to deepen military and intelligence cooperation and the integration of defense capabilities under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.
The officials reaffirmed their commitment to collective defense and their determination to protect Saudi Arabia’s “security, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to the ministry.
They also reviewed the security situation and threats facing the Kingdom, condemning recent attacks targeting Makkah and Saudi civilian and economic infrastructure.
The Iran-backed Houthis have escalated attacks on the kingdom since July, ending a years-long truce and declaring a maritime blockade, hitting Saudi targets.
The military chiefs praised the Saudi armed forces for their role in protecting citizens, residents and the country’s security.
The talks came after Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met in New York on Thursday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The New York meeting “addressed ongoing arrangements for an urgent meeting of the chiefs of staff of the three countries to discuss ways to support the Kingdom in accordance with the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement,” a statement shared by official Saudi news agency SPA said.
The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement was signed on Aug. 7 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The pact stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be considered an attack against all three and commits them to expanding defense cooperation and strengthening collective deterrence.
Friday’s meeting comes amid efforts by the three countries to translate the agreement into practical military cooperation.
At the Riyadh meeting, the military chiefs said their talks reflected the strength of the three countries’ defense partnership and their determination to begin immediately translating commitments under the Makkah agreement into “effective military cooperation.”
