The Foreign Office on Monday said Pakistan will assume the office of the first secretary general of the Makkah Defense Alliance for a period of three years, as the tripartite accord moves to institutionalize its functioning.
In a statement issued after the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee established under the Makkah Defense Alliance in Istanbul, it said a Secretariat headed by the secretary general would be established in Saudi Arabia. The Secretariat would initially be “headed by a Secretary General from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for a period of three years,” it added.
“The ministers of Foreign Affairs, ministers of Defense as well as Chiefs of Defense Forces/Chiefs of General Staff of the Republic of Türkiye, Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia gathered in Istanbul on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Strategic Political and Defense Committee format established under the Makkah Agreement for Joint Defense,” read the statement.
It noted that “acting with a sense of regional ownership, the three countries reiterate their determination to work together within the framework of the Makkah Agreement to achieve sustainable peace and stability in their region,” adding “to that end, they will continue to support efforts towards de- escalation and restraint to encourage peaceful resolution of crises.”
According to the Foreign Office, Monday’s meeting agreed to take steps to “further institutionalize their cooperation within the Makkah Agreement in a manner that would enhance their solidarity, ensure the credibility and effectiveness of their collective deterrence and defense, and contribute to the regional efforts and cooperative security towards a just, inclusive and lasting peace.”
The statement said that the three signatories would also work to jointly strengthen their defense capabilities and cohesion of their armed forces through robust defense industry cooperation, joint technology development and production. It further said that “through the institutionalized and resolute implementation of the Makkah Agreement, the three countries will provide essential contributions to regional peace and stability.”
High-level engagements
On the sidelines of the meeting, according to a statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir held a series of high-level engagements in Istanbul.
According to the military’s media wing, the CDF separately met Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia; Turkish Foreign Minister Yaşar Güler; the Turkish national defense minister; and Chief of Turkish General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroğlu.
“During the engagements, matters of mutual interest, bilateral defense cooperation and the regional security environment were discussed,” it added.
Referring to the meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee under the Makkah Agreement for Joint Defense, it said the three sides had reviewed avenues for further strengthening strategic coordination and defense cooperation.
“The engagements reflected the close bonds of brotherhood and growing strategic and defense cooperation among Pakistan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Turkiye,” it said.
In his meeting with the Saudi minister, CDF Munir discussed ways to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation and regional developments. The two officials reviewed “prospects for military and defense cooperation between the two brotherly countries,” said the Saudi Press Agency. They also discussed “regional developments and the efforts being made in response to them,” it added.
New architecture
Earlier, addressing a press conference after the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the Makkah Defense Agreement launched a process to establish a “new security and cooperation architecture” in the region.
“With this alliance, we will see greater stability gradually emerge in the region and uncertainty diminish,” he said, adding the alliance was “established with the aim of expanding.”
Describing the alliance as a defense pact that would respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states and refrain from interfering in their internal affairs, he said it would remain open to other regional states. He said the “peaceful vision” underpinning the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement could be pursued jointly with countries across the region.
Fidan also clarified that the agreement would not replace the countries’ obligations under international organizations such as NATO, but would complement those responsibilities.