Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that a newly signed defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye was purely defensive and was not directed against any country.

The “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement”, signed in the Saudi city of Makkah on Friday, was the result of years of coordination between the three countries aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation and promoting regional peace and stability, Dar said in a post on X.

Under the accord, an external armed attack on any of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three, consistent with the right to individual and collective self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Dar said.

“The Makkah Accord is purely defensive in nature. It is not targeted against any country,” Dar said.

He said the agreement did not replace or override existing bilateral or multilateral agreements between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye or other countries and organisations.

The accord was intended to strengthen the three countries’ ability to respond to a range of peace and security challenges while advancing regional stability and prosperity, Dar said.

He added that the agreement remained open to other countries in the region that were willing to uphold its principles and resolve differences through mutual respect, cooperation and peaceful means.

Pakistan remained committed to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and to working with countries in the region to promote lasting peace and stability, Dar said.