Ishaq Dar discusses Makkah defence pact with Saudi, Turkiye and Egypt

Islamabad,UPDATED: Sep 6, 2026 17:22 IST

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday held separate telephone conversations with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, discussing bilateral ties as well as regional and international issues, Pakistan's Foreign Office said.

In the calls, Dar reviewed developments of mutual interest, followed up on understandings reached at a recent defence meeting in Istanbul, and discussed coordination at multilateral forums. He also received an invitation from Egypt's foreign minister to visit the country.

According to the Foreign Office, Dar spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan about regional and international developments, including matters of mutual interest at multilateral fora. "They also discussed follow-up on the understandings reached at the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the Makkah Defence Alliance, held in Istanbul, and agreed to remain in close contact," it said.

Dar also spoke to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and thanked him for hosting the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Istanbul on August 31. The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in Makkah on August 7. It states that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack against all three, and calls for stronger defence cooperation among them.

The Foreign Office said Dar and Fidan followed up on the understandings reached at the Istanbul meeting and discussed ways to further advance cooperation under the framework. "The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on regional and international developments. They also discussed matters of mutual interest and opportunities to further strengthen cooperation at multilateral fora," it added.

Earlier in the day, Dar held a conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and exchanged views on Pakistan-Egypt bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments. The Foreign Office said Abdelatty invited Dar to "hold a bilateral visit to Egypt at his earliest convenience". The two ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to remaining "engaged and involved" on regional security matters and agreed to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly later this month.

The three calls focused on Pakistan's ties with Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, wider regional developments, and follow-up action on recent understandings, including under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

With PTI Inputs

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