‘Big, bold and important’: Trump hails Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defence pact

 

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has described the defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan as a “big, bold and important first step” towards strengthening the three countries’ ability to defend themselves.

Trump's comments came days after the three nations signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, under which an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all three.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump welcomed the agreement and said it reflected growing cooperation among countries in the Middle East.

“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” Trump said. He added that the pact showed how the region was coming together and would enable the countries to defend themselves “in a more meaningful way”.

“THIS IS A BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP - WOW,” Trump wrote while congratulating the leadership of the three countries.

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Agreement signed on August 7

The agreement was signed on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The pact has drawn attention in India, which is assessing its possible implications for national security as well as regional peace and stability.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on August 11 that India was examining the agreement from both security and regional perspectives.

“As far as this agreement is concerned, we are examining its implications both from the perspective of India's national security and considerations of regional peace and stability,” Jaiswal said.

 

He added that “India remains fully committed to safeguarding its national interests and will take all necessary measures in this regard.”
PTI