Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, arrived in Türkiye on Sunday. His visit comes ahead of the first ministerial meeting of a new regional defence grouping involving Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Türkiye will host the meeting on Monday as the three countries move forward with their newly signed defence agreement.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement commits the three countries to mutual defence if any member faces an attack.
First Meeting to Shape New Defence Grouping
The upcoming meeting in Istanbul will focus on establishing a “political and defence strategic committee” for the alliance.
The committee will bring together foreign and defence ministers, along with the military chiefs of the participating countries.
Monday’s meeting will be chaired by Türkiye’s foreign and defence ministers and the chief of the general staff.
Pakistan will send Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to represent the country at the meeting.
Pakistan’s defence minister and commander of the defence forces will also participate in the discussions.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia will send its foreign minister, defence minister and chief of the general staff.
Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Deepen Defence Cooperation
The agreement brings together three significant military powers from different parts of the Muslim world.
Türkiye has NATO’s second-largest army, while Pakistan remains the Islamic world’s only nuclear-armed state.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, holds a leading position among the Gulf powers.
The new defence arrangement has emerged amid heightened regional tensions and wider security concerns.
The agreement was signed earlier this month against the backdrop of the war between the United States and Iran.
It also followed attacks in the region involving Tehran-backed Houthi rebels.
The latest meeting will therefore provide the three countries with an opportunity to discuss their shared security interests.
Defence Capabilities and Military Cooperation on Agenda
According to Ankara, the participants will discuss several areas linked to defence and security cooperation.
These discussions will include strengthening defence capabilities and improving interoperability among their armed forces.
The countries also plan to explore greater cooperation within the defence industry. As a result, the meeting could establish a framework for closer coordination between their military institutions.
The formation of the strategic committee will also provide a mechanism for continued political and defence consultations.
With senior military and political officials attending, the Istanbul meeting marks an important early step.
The three countries will now begin shaping the practical mechanisms behind their new mutual defence arrangement.
