Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to further strengthen bilateral security cooperation and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration in the sector, Arab News said on Thursday.

Citing Pakistan’s Ministry of Information, the report said the agreement was reached during a meeting between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud in Riyadh on Wednesday.

Quoting Mohsin Naqvi, the report said both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding security cooperation and described the agreement as a reflection of the strong strategic partnership and deep brotherly ties between the two countries.

“Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed an MoU in the security sector,” the ministry said in a statement, without providing further details of the agreement.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia maintain close bilateral relations and signed a mutual defence pact last year under which an attack on one country would be considered an attack on both.

The latest agreement comes amid continuing tensions in the Middle East despite an interim peace deal reached between the United States and Iran last month.

The two countries have since exchanged military strikes in the Gulf, highlighting the challenges facing efforts to secure a lasting settlement.

During his visit to the Kingdom, Naqvi also toured the Unified Security Operations Centre in Riyadh, where he reviewed its various departments, advanced technologies and coordination mechanisms among security agencies, according to Pakistan’s interior ministry.