Pakistan says new defense pact with Saudi and Turkey is 'purely defensive' and open to others
- Pakistan's foreign minister stated that the new defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey is not directed against any country.
- The agreement was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
- The pact is described as 'purely defensive in nature' and allows for other nations to join if they uphold its principles.
- The agreement includes a stipulation that an armed attack against one of the three states will be considered an attack against all.
- Pakistan aims to work with regional countries towards lasting peace and stability.
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s foreign minister said Sunday a new defense 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 Defense 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 Sunday the agreement 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. His post on X 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-defense under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter.
巴基斯坦称与沙特和土耳其的新防御协议是‘纯防御性’且对其他国家开放
伊斯兰堡（美联社）——巴基斯坦外长周日表示，巴基斯坦与沙特和土耳其签署的新防御协议并不针对任何国家，并且对该地区的其他国家开放。
这项具有里程碑意义的麦加联合防御协议于周五由沙特王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼、土耳其总统雷杰普·塔伊普·埃尔多安和巴基斯坦总理谢赫巴兹·谢里夫签署，三国旨在加深安全合作，背景是美国与伊朗之间的紧张局势加剧。
巴基斯坦外长伊斯哈克·达尔周日表示，该协议是‘纯防御性’的，其他国家如果愿意遵守其原则并通过和平方式解决分歧，可以加入该协议。他在社交媒体上的发文是在土耳其外长哈坎·菲丹同样表示该协议不针对伊朗或任何其他国家后发布的。
协议规定‘对三国之一的任何武装攻击都将被视为对所有国家的攻击’，根据三方发布的声明，达尔在其发文中表示，该条款符合联合国宪章第51条关于个人和集体自卫的权利。