Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held separate telephone conversations with his Saudi and Turkish counterparts to discuss the follow-up on the Makkah Defence Alliance. According to Foreign Office statements, Dar spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The defence agreement, signed on August 7, brings together Muslim nations concerned over the Middle East conflict that escalated following joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye convened the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, established under the pact, in Istanbul on August 31.
During his call with Prince Faisal, the two foreign ministers exchanged views on regional and international developments, as well as matters of mutual interest at multilateral fora. They reviewed the implementation of understandings reached during the Istanbul meeting and agreed to maintain close contact.
In his conversation with Fidan, Dar thanked his Turkish counterpart for hosting the inaugural committee meeting. Both sides explored ways to advance cooperation under the Makkah Defence Alliance and agreed to stay closely engaged on regional and global issues.