"Any Aggression Against Either Country...": Key Clause In Pak-Saudi Pact
"Committed to protecting national interests": India on Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence pact
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- From: India News Bull
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Riyadh
New Delhi:
During Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's official state visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have formalized a mutual defence agreement. A crucial provision within this pact declares that "any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both".
India has responded diplomatically, noting that this agreement essentially formalizes a pre-existing arrangement between the two nations.
"We have observed reports regarding the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The government was previously aware that this development, which officializes a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration.
"We will analyze the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability. The Government remains dedicated to safeguarding India's national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security across all domains," stated the Ministry of External Affairs in response to media inquiries.
According to a joint statement, the Pakistan Prime Minister visited Riyadh following an invitation from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday. The Saudi Prince hosted Sharif at the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. "The two sides examined the historic and strategic relations between both countries, and various topics of mutual interest," the statement indicated.
The statement emphasized that the mutual defence pact builds upon the "historic partnership extending for nearly eight decades" between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. This agreement is also founded on the "bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity, as well as shared strategic interests and close defense cooperation between the two countries", according to the statement.
"This agreement, which demonstrates the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both," it further explains. A photograph from this meeting shows Pakistan Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir accompanying Sharif and the Saudi Prince.
This agreement gains significance at a time when relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated following the Pahalgam terror attack and India's retaliatory action, Operation Sindoor.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure has witnessed consistent growth in bilateral engagement between New Delhi and Riyadh. India now stands as the second-largest trading partner for Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam during the Prime Minister's state visit to Riyadh in April this year. A joint statement indicated that both sides agreed that "there cannot be any justification for any act of terror for any reason whatsoever". "They condemned cross-border terrorism, and called on all States to reject the use of terrorism against other countries, dismantle terrorism infrastructure where it exists, and bring perpetrators of terrorism to justice swiftly," it further stated.
Prime Minister Modi has made three official visits to Saudi Arabia, and in 2016, he was awarded Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honor, the King Abdulaziz Sash.