RIYADH—The military chiefs of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan agreed to strengthen defense and intelligence cooperation during a meeting held this Friday in Riyadh, amid rising tensions and attacks against Saudi territory.
The military officials reviewed the security situation in
the region and discussed mechanisms to coordinate their defense capabilities,
expand intelligence sharing, and strengthen cooperation among their armed forces.
The meeting took place within the framework of the Mecca
Joint Defense Agreement, signed by the three countries on August 7. The pact
stipulates that an armed attack against any one of its members will be
considered an attack against all three, and also provides for greater defense
coordination.
During the meeting, the military commanders expressed their
support for collective defense and condemned the recent attacks against Mecca
and other Saudi civilian and economic facilities.
The meeting comes as the Houthis in Yemen have intensified
their attacks against targets linked to Saudi Arabia. Given this scenario, the
three countries are seeking to translate the commitments established in the
defense agreement into concrete mechanisms for military cooperation.
The Riyadh meeting represents one of the first operational
steps of the new trilateral agreement, with an emphasis on military
coordination, information sharing, and the integration of defense capabilities.