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Pakistan says ‘purely defensive’ Mecca accord is open to others
Egypt is likely to join the defence deal, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey amid rising tensions between the US and Iran
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Pakistan’s foreign minister said a new defence agreement his country signed with Saudi Arabia and Turkey was not directed against any country and remained open to other nations in the region.
The landmark Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed on Friday by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the three countries seek to deepen security cooperation amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday the agreement – dubbed the Mecca accord – was “purely defensive in nature” and that other countries could join if they were willing to uphold its principles and resolve differences through peaceful means, adding the deal reflected a shared desire to strengthen strategic security cooperation.
His social media post came a day after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan similarly said the agreement was not aimed at Iran or any other country.
The agreement stipulates “that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all”, according to statements released by the three sides. Dar said in his post the stipulation was consistent with the right of individual and collective self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Pakistan, he said, would continue working with countries across the region towards lasting peace and stability. “The Makkah Accord does not abrogate or replace any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements between these countries, or with other countries or organisations,” he wrote.
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