Saudi cabinet welcomes steps to establish Makkah defense pact secretariat
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s cabinet on Tuesday welcomed an agreement made by the Kingdom, Türkiye and Pakistan to take further institutional steps toward establishing a general secretariat for their Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, with the body to be headquartered in the Kingdom.
The cabinet, chaired by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, highlighted the outcome of the first meeting of the agreement’s Political-Defense Strategy Committee, held in Istanbul on Monday.
The three countries also agreed to activate areas of joint cooperation to strengthen coordination and integration, enhance the effectiveness of collective deterrence and defense, and support regional and international efforts toward a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace.
The cabinet also reviewed recent consultations and talks between Saudi Arabia and allied countries, including a message received by bin Salman from Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Saudi information minister Salman Al-Dosary said the cabinet, after reviewing the outcomes of the 23rd extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, reaffirmed the Kingdom’s support for efforts to strengthen the organization’s role in addressing issues affecting the Muslim world and advancing its peoples’ aspirations for stability and peace.
The cabinet congratulated Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed on his election as OIC secretary-general and praised the work of his predecessor, Hissein Brahim Taha, during his tenure.
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