No new members being taken into Mecca alliance for now: Pakistan
The Mecca Defense Pact was signed between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey on August 7 – Reuters.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has said there is currently no plan to expand the Mecca defense alliance. It said on Thursday that the alliance formed among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey is “defensive.” Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan made these remarks during a weekly press briefing.
Sajjad Haider said the agreement is essentially “a defensive alliance, whose main objective is to ensure regional security primarily through deterrence.”
He noted that there is no plan to expand the alliance right now. “First, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey need to further strengthen organization and cooperation among themselves.”
After this coordination and cooperation becomes stronger, “countries that hold similar positions and views will have the opportunity to join this agreement,” he said.
The spokesperson said the three member countries are continuing consultations and discussions at various levels under this framework. A decision on expanding the alliance will be taken later.
He said, “At this stage, there is no discussion on expanding the Mecca Pact.”
Noting that the agreement is still at the initial stage of formation, he said there will be detailed discussions on its “structure, working procedures, and other matters.”
In his words, “Much important work remains to finalize the organization’s structure, working procedures, and arrangements.” He also said what progress is made in the future will become clear with time.
The Mecca Defense Pact was signed on August 7. The aim of this defense agreement is to strengthen joint defense capabilities. The pact also states that if any one of the signatory countries is attacked, it will be considered an attack on all member states.
The first meeting under the agreement was held on August 31 in Istanbul. It was decided there that a secretariat led by a secretary-general would be established in Saudi Arabia to support the alliance’s activities. Initially, for three years, a Pakistani secretary-general will lead this secretariat.
Source: Dawn
