PM Shehbaz Sharif welcomes Trump’s support for the Mecca defence deal

Islamabad – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s support for the Mecca joint defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey. The Prime Minister said that Pakistan will continue to play a constructive role for regional security and sustainable peace in collaboration with brotherly countries.

The Prime Minister appreciated Trump’s encouraging words in his statement. He linked Pakistan’s defense cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Turkey to the broader peace of the region.

Shahbaz Sharif said that Pakistan will continue to play a role for common defense and regional stability in collaboration with its brotherly countries. According to him, sustainable peace is a basic need for a secure and prosperous future of the people.

The Prime Minister also appreciated the leadership of the US President in reducing tensions in South Asia. He said that Trump’s decisive diplomatic efforts helped avert a major crisis in the region.

The US President also termed the agreement reached between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan as a positive development. Trump called it an important and bold step for the three countries.

The Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement was signed on August 7, 2026. The basic principle of this agreement is that an armed attack on one of the members will be considered an attack on all three countries.

Under the agreement, the three countries will further organize defense coordination. It includes proposals to expand joint military exercises and defense cooperation in addition to high-level political and military contacts.

According to Turkey, the scope of cooperation can be expanded to cyber security along with land, sea and air sectors. Areas such as defense technology, unmanned systems, electronic warfare and artificial intelligence can also be part of the cooperation.

Ankara has clarified that the agreement is not a specific military alliance against any one country. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan linked it to the principle of mutual defense, while also emphasizing that the agreement should not be a substitute for existing alliances.

The importance of the agreement is also increased by the different defense capabilities of the three countries. Pakistan is a major military power with nuclear capabilities. Turkey is rapidly increasing its capabilities in defense technology, while Saudi Arabia is a major economic power in the region.

An important aspect of the agreement is its possible expansion. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hinted at the possible inclusion of Egypt. Turkey has also shown the possibility of including Egypt in the scope of this cooperation in the future.

This development is also significant because Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have already been consulting on regional issues. In June 2026, the foreign ministers of the four countries agreed to continue their contacts for regional peace, security and stability in Cairo.

Analytically, the Mecca Agreement is not limited to military cooperation. It also reflects the growing political and strategic ties between the three countries.

However, the real importance of the agreement will come out in its practical implementation. Issues such as joint command, coordination, defense technology and coordination between different military systems will be important in the coming phase.

The current regional tensions have also increased the importance of this cooperation. Security concerns in the Middle East and changing global alliances are forcing regional countries to reconsider their defense priorities.

For Pakistan, this agreement provides an opportunity to advance the already existing defense relations with Saudi Arabia and Turkey in a new institutional framework. The challenge for Islamabad will be to maintain regional peace and diplomatic balance along with defense cooperation.