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Kuwait congratulated Pakistan on signing the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, as Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar briefed counterparts from Canada, Kuwait and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on the pact over the weekend, and landmarks in Istanbul and Ankara were lit up to mark the agreement.
In a late-night phone call, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah "felicitated" his Pakistani counterpart on the recent signing of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, according to a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.
Kuwait's Foreign Ministry said the call, held Sunday, covered a review of cooperative relations between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen them, in addition to discussing the latest regional developments and efforts aimed at strengthening security and stability in the region.
The two ministers also discussed the regional situation, including occupied East Jerusalem, according to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.
They discussed Pakistan-Kuwait bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest, including follow-up to Jarrah's recent visit to Pakistan and ways to further enhance cooperation and investment in key sectors, the ministry said, adding that the two sides agreed to remain closely engaged.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the agreement in Mecca on Friday.
The pact considers an armed attack against any of the three countries an attack against all of them and aims to strengthen collective deterrence and expand defense cooperation.
The agreement follows years of consultations among Riyadh, Ankara and Islamabad aimed at strengthening defense cooperation and coordinating responses to shared security challenges based on their strategic interests.
It came amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz following the conflict between Iran and the U.S., which has raised concerns over global energy supplies and maritime security despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to preserve freedom of navigation.
According to information Turkish officials provided to state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the agreement is a defense-oriented cooperation arrangement that targets no country and is designed to strengthen commitments to regional and global peace, stability and prosperity through burden-sharing and a common security approach.
The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries shall be regarded as an attack against them all, the officials said.
Dar spoke late Saturday jointly with President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo and Gen. Umaro Sissoco Embalo, former president of Guinea-Bissau, according to a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.
Dar shared with them the contours of the recently signed Mecca Joint Defense Agreement and its significance for strengthening strategic cooperation and contributing to regional peace, stability and security, the ministry said.
Dar and Tshisekedi also exchanged views on Pakistan-DRC relations and agreed on the importance of further strengthening bilateral cooperation, including through high-level exchanges, according to the ministry. Dar conveyed his best wishes to Tshisekedi and the people of the DRC, the ministry said.
Separately, Dar and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand discussed the Mecca Defense Agreement on Sunday, as well as regional developments, according to a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.
Dar shared with Anand "the essence of the Agreement and the joint resolve of the three countries to contribute to regional peace, stability and security," the ministry statement said.
The two ministers also discussed the situation involving the U.S. and Iran, according to the statement. Dar raised the situation in occupied East Jerusalem, including a ministerial meeting on Jerusalem recently held in Jordan.
The two ministers agreed to remain closely engaged on issues of shared interest, according to the ministry statement.
Special light displays featuring the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement illuminated major landmarks across Istanbul and Ankara on Sunday, Aug. 9, organized by Türkiye's Directorate of Communications.
In Istanbul, the campaign illuminated prominent sites including Galata Tower, the July 15 Martyrs Bridge and the Atatürk Cultural Center. In Ankara, the displays lit up the Directorate of Communications building, Atakule and Turk Telekom buildings.
The initiative spanned landmark locations across both cities to communicate the agreement's core messages of unity, solidarity and cooperation to the public.
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