RIYADH: Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz met Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir in Riyadh, with the two sides discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and military ties, Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said.
The meeting also welcomed a recent meeting of military chiefs from countries participating in the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, according to the ministry.
The officials discussed attacks targeting Makkah and civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed their commitment to joint efforts to counter such threats under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Saudi Minister of State, Cabinet Member and National Security Adviser Dr Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili and the Saudi defence minister’s adviser for intelligence affairs, Hisham bin Abdulaziz bin Saif, attended the meeting. Senior Pakistani officials were also present.
The meeting followed a gathering in Riyadh of chiefs of defence forces and chiefs of general staff from countries participating in the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, where participants reviewed the security situation and threats facing Saudi Arabia.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Saudi Arabia’s chief of general staff and senior Turkish military officials attended the meeting. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye reaffirmed their commitment to Saudi Arabia’s defence and security.
According to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), participants strongly condemned attacks targeting the holy city of Makkah and civilian and economic infrastructure.
The participants also praised the Saudi armed forces for their professionalism and readiness in protecting the population and safeguarding the kingdom’s security.
They agreed to further strengthen cooperation among the armed forces of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, including through intelligence sharing, military coordination and more effective integration of defence capabilities.
The meeting also reaffirmed the three countries’ commitment to strengthening defence cooperation and collective defence capabilities. Participants highlighted the longstanding ties and mutual trust between their peoples and armed forces.
ISPR said the Riyadh meeting reflected efforts to strengthen defence partnerships under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and reaffirmed the commitment to translate its provisions into immediate and effective military cooperation.
The developments come as Houthi forces have intensified missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. The Houthis claimed on Thursday that they had launched dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets, while Saudi authorities said they had intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the group.
