Pakistani, Saudi, Turkish chiefs discuss closer military ties

Sept 26 (Reuters) – The military chiefs of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey discussed enhancing intelligence sharing, military coordination and capability integration at a meeting in Riyadh on Friday, according to statements from Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry and Pakistan’s military.

The chiefs of defence forces and chiefs of general staff reviewed the security situation and threats facing Saudi Arabia and condemned attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis targeting the holy city of Makkah as well as the kingdom’s civilian and economic infrastructure, the statements said.

“The chiefs also discussed ways to further advance cooperation among the armed forces of the three countries,” the Pakistan military added. 

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement last month, saying an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack on all, in a pact the signatories said was aimed at strengthening collective deterrence and military cooperation.

The pact follows nearly a year of negotiations, and comes as the Iran war exposes Gulf states’ security vulnerabilities and disrupts the shipping of oil and other key goods through the Strait of Hormuz.

(Reporting by Ariba Shahid; Writing by Gnaneshwar Rajan; Editing by Nia Williams)

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