Regional countries welcomed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, describing it as a step towards strengthening collective security, defence cooperation and regional stability.
Somalia described the agreement as a historic step toward strengthening collective security and defence cooperation.
In a statement on Friday, the country’s defence ministry said the agreement establishes a strategic partnership capable of addressing shared security challenges while advancing long-term defence cooperation among the three countries.
The ministry said it was confident the pact would make a significant contribution to enhancing regional peace and stability and reinforce the principles of cooperation, solidarity and shared responsibility.
It added that the agreement would serve the interests of the peoples of the region while supporting international peace and security.
Bahrain called the development a strategic partnership that would strengthen deterrence and contribute to regional and international security and stability.
The country’s foreign ministry highlighted the countries’ established defence capabilities, extensive military experience and longstanding roles in promoting regional security and stability.
It said the agreement represents a strategic partnership among equal partners, with each contributing its capabilities towards preserving regional and global security.
According to the ministry, the pact complements the Gulf Cooperation Council’s collective defence system, enhances its effectiveness and reinforces regional security through solidarity, integration and partnership among brotherly countries.
The ministry reiterated that Saudi Arabia’s security is an integral part of Bahrain’s own security, and affirmed support for efforts to safeguard regional stability, protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and advance political solutions to regional issues.
The historic agreement was signed on Friday at a summit in the Muslim holy city of Mecca attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The agreement says that "any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all."
