Syria Weighs Joining Saudi-Led Mecca Defence Pact
· World · Al Jazeera, New York Times
Syria is considering entering into a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani announced at the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain on Saturday. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed in August, dictates that an attack on one member nation is considered an attack on all three. Speaking in Bahrain, al-Shaibani stated that Damascus views itself as an integral part of regional security and supports developing joint deterrence systems. He also noted that Israel has carried out more than 1,000 attacks on Syria over the past two years, resulting in dozens of deaths. The motive behind Syria's potential accession to the alliance is to bolster regional stability, though neither Islamabad nor Ankara has commented on Damascus joining.
Why it matters
A Syrian entry into the Mecca pact would realign Middle Eastern security architecture and deepen diplomatic ties between Damascus and Riyadh amid ongoing regional conflicts.
Read the original report — Al Jazeera
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.