Makkah pact committee to meet in Riyadh tomorrow, Turkey says

RIYADH: A committee overseeing the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is set to meet in Riyadh on Monday, with senior Turkish ministers and military officials expected to attend, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

The meeting comes amid renewed tensions in Yemen, where the Saudi-backed government announced the launch of a major military operation against the Iran-backed Houthis, seeking to retake territory controlled by the group.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister said on Friday that Iran had proposed political engagement with Yemen’s Houthis following attacks by the group.

The proposal is expected to be among the regional developments discussed by the Makkah defence pact committee during its Riyadh meeting.

“The meeting will address recent developments in the region and the stage reached in the Alliance’s institutionalisation efforts,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu will attend the meeting of the pact’s strategic political and defence committee, alongside officials from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, according to the statement.

Pakistan announced in September the appointment of Lieutenant General (retd) Nauman Mahmood as the first secretary general of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

“The government of Pakistan is pleased to announce the appointment of Lt-Gen Nauman Mahmood, Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), as the first secretary general pursuant to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said at the time.

Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the agreement with Saudi Arabia. However, Foreign Office spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan said on Thursday that operational details concerning when, where and how Pakistan would respond to threats under the pact would remain confidential.

The Riyadh meeting is expected to focus on regional security developments as well as efforts to establish the institutional framework of the trilateral defence agreement.