Qatar welcomes Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani defense pact signed in Mecca

Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari on Tuesday welcomed the Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, describing the three nations as strategic partners bound by shared destiny and fraternal ties.

Speaking at a weekly news conference in Doha, Al-Ansari said: "We welcome any regional cooperation that strengthens security, stability and defense among the countries of the region." He added that "Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye are countries which we have strategic relations and fraternal ties with based on a shared destiny and common concerns."

Trilateral pact signed in Mecca

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement last Friday in the holy city of Mecca. The pact stipulates that an armed attack on any of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three — a mutual defense clause aimed at strengthening collective deterrence against aggression.

Defense cooperation framework

The agreement includes defense industry cooperation and enhanced military interoperability between the three nations. Al-Ansari noted that "for the security of our region and the security of the world, we fully positively view any defense framework based on cooperation and good-neighborly relations." He stressed that "regional security is a collective responsibility that requires regional coordination and cooperation."