Pakistan, Saudi Arabia move to deepen defense ties under new security pact

• Pakistan’s chief of general staff meets top Saudi military leaders in Riyadh
• Both sides review defense projects and explore tech-focused joint ventures

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Syed Aamer Raza met Saudi Arabia’s top military leadership in Riyadh to discuss expanding defense cooperation under a strategic framework between the two countries, the Pakistan military said on Friday.

The meeting came nearly two months after Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a joint defense security pact, pledging that an attack on one country would be treated as an attack on both.

The Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement was signed in September and further solidified decades of Saudi-Pakistan security cooperation covering areas such as intelligence-sharing, counterterrorism and regional stability.

“Lt. Gen. Syed Aamer Raza, Chief of General Staff (CGS) Pakistan Army, called on General Fayyadh Bin Hameed Al-Rowaily, Chief of General Staff, Royal Saudi Armed Forces, at Riyadh,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement.

“During the meeting, matters of mutual strategic interest were discussed, with a special focus on strengthening bilateral defense cooperation, enhancing interoperability and advancing collaboration under the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement,” it added.

ISPR said both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the longstanding relations contributing to regional stability and self-reliance.

A special session of the Pakistan-Saudi Bilateral Defense Industrial Forum was also held in Riyadh. The Pakistan tri-services delegation was led by Raza, while the Saudi side was headed by Assistant Minister of Defense for Executive Affairs Khalid Al Biyari.

“During the bilateral meet, both sides reviewed the progress of ongoing defense cooperation projects and discussed new avenues for joint ventures in emerging technologies in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030,” the statement said.

The Pakistani general reaffirmed his country’s support for the capacity-building of Saudi defense forces.

ISPR said Saudi officials also praised Pakistan’s “achievements and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and vital contributions to regional peace and stability.”