Pakistan announces the date and location of the new meeting of the “Mecca Agreement” countries

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a press conference held in Islamabad on Friday that prominent government ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan will hold a meeting in Riyadh next week, within the framework of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between the three countries. Ishaq Dar added that the foreign and defense ministers and army commanders from the three countries will meet next week “to review the latest developments and the field reality, especially with regard to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” stressing: “We are committed to defending Saudi Arabia.”

Last month, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed a joint defense agreement similar to NATO, which stipulates that any attack targeting any of them “is considered an attack against all of them.” This agreement comes at a time when Riyadh faces threats on multiple fronts, including threats from the Iranian-backed Houthi group in Yemen. The group’s recent strikes on Saudi Arabia, including those targeting the capital, Riyadh, have put the strategic agreement to the test.

Ishaq Dar said that the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia had “agreed in principle” to hold this next meeting, following an initial meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York, on September 24.