Pakistan, Kuwait sign pact to deepen defence cooperation

"During the meeting, matters of mutual interest were discussed, with particular focus on bilateral defence relations, security cooperation and further strengthening defence ties between Pakistan and Kuwait," it said.

The ministry said that under the new agreement, the Armed Forces of Pakistan would extend assistance to the Armed Forces of Kuwait in diverse fields, including training, capacity building, border management and other mutually agreed areas of defence collaboration.

"The agreement reflects the deep trust, mutual respect and shared strategic interests underpinning the longstanding defence relationship between the two brotherly countries," said the statement. It further added that both sides reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen this partnership in support of mutual security and regional peace and stability.

The recent agreement came amid growing regional efforts to enhance security cooperation, following the signing of the "Makkah Joint Defence Agreement" by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye earlier this month.

The agreement was signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, held at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah.

The "Makkah Joint Defence Agreement" is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all. Turkey has NATO's second-largest military.

Saudi Arabia, the strongest Gulf state, is home to Islam's holiest sites and one of the world's top oil exporters, while Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim country.

Earlier in the day, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir met Kuwait's chief of general staff of the armed forces at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi with the two sides discussing regional security and ways to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting focused on matters of mutual interest, regional security and defence collaboration between Pakistan and Kuwait.

"Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing institutional ties and expanding mutually beneficial defence collaboration between the two brotherly countries," it said. The Kuwaiti delegation, led by Sheikh Abdullah, appreciated the "professionalism, operational excellence and valuable contributions" of the Pakistan Armed Forces towards regional peace and stability, ISPR said.

The engagement reaffirmed Pakistan and Kuwait's resolve to further consolidate their "historic and brotherly relations" into a strong and enduring defence partnership, the statement read. The two countries also expressed their commitment to strengthening defence ties in a manner that contributes to regional security and stability, it added.