Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a mutual defence agreement during Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to Riyadh. A key clause of this pact states that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”.
In a measured response, India has stated that this pact formalizes a long-standing arrangement between the two countries.
“We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The Government was aware that this development, which formalizes a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration.
“We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability. The Government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in response to a media query.
A joint statement said the Pakistan Prime Minister visited Riyadh on the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday. The Saudi Prince met Sharif at the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. “The two sides reviewed the historic and strategic relations between both countries, and a number of topics of common interest,” it said.
The statement said the mutual defence pact builds on the “historic partnership extending for nearly eight decades” between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. This pact is also also based on the “bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity, as well as shared strategic interests and close defense cooperation between the two countries,” the statement says.
