Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye to hold first meeting under Makkah pact in Istanbul on Monday

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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye will hold their first meeting under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Istanbul on Monday, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed. In a statement, FO said the “inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (Makkah Accord)” will be held in the Turkish capital. Pakistan will be represented at the meeting by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. The meeting will also be attended by the respective foreign and defence ministers, as well as chiefs of general staff, of Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, according to FO. “Pakistan’s participation in the meeting signifies Pakistan’s historic bonds of friendship with the brotherly countries of Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, as well as its desire for lasting regional peace and stability,” the statement highlighted. In its statement, Turkiye said FM Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of Turkish General Staff Gen Selcuk Bayraktaroglu will participate in the meeting. Chief of the Army Staff Munir arrived “in Turkiye on an official visit”, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a brief statement issued in the evening. Earlier in the day, FM Dar also reached Istanbul after concluding his visit to the United Kingdom, FO confirmed. Upon his arrival in Istanbul, Dar was received by Turkish Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration Brig. General Senol Varol, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkiye Dr Yousaf Junaid, Ambassador Cihad Erginay of the Turkish foreign ministry, and other senior officials of the Turkish government, the FO said. The deputy premier later visited the shrine of Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (RA) to pay his respects. He offered prayers for the peace and prosperity of Pakistan and its people, as well as for the Muslim community’s unity, the FO said. Separately, Turkiye’s Fidan had also invited Dar to the Regional-4 meeting in Istanbul, which includes the three countries part of the defence pact, along with Egypt. Dar had confirmed his participation in the meeting, which was scheduled to take place in August, FO had said. The R-4 group has been focused on regional security and emerged in March amid efforts for mediation between the US and Iran. The last R-4 meeting was held on August 5 in Amman, where the ministers “reaffirmed the importance of continued consultation and close coordination among the four countries in advancing regional stability”, according to FO. Prior to that, a Cairo meeting held in June welcomed the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran. The first and second R-4 meetings — both held in March — took place in Riyadh and Islamabad, respectively. UK visit wrapped up In an earlier statement, FO said DPM Dar “concluded a successful official visit to the UK”. During his trip, Dar met several officials, including UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Minister of State for Pakistan Stephen Doughty, National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez and Commonwealth Secretary General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. The deputy premier also interacted with British parliamentarians of Pakistani origin and the Pakistani diaspora in the UK.

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