ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia took steps to strengthen the bilateral defense partnership on Monday as Saudi Chief of the General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili held a series of high-level meetings in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, signaling the renewed strategic alignment of the two nations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met General Al-Ruwaili to review defense cooperation, counter-terrorism coordination and regional stability, and emphasized that relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had been further strengthened through the recent high-level engagement in Riyadh.
The meeting focused on the historic ‘Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement’ recently signed in Riyadh. Both sides committed to putting it into practice through joint training, military exercises and further exchange of experience in the next phase.
Shehbaz appreciated Saudi Arabia’s continued support to Pakistan, while reiterating Islamabad’s resolve to deepen bilateral defense ties, enhance security cooperation and maintain united resolve against terrorism and extremism.
General Al-Ruwaili conveyed congratulations from the Saudi leadership, reaffirming the Kingdom’s strong desire to elevate the existing strategic and defense partnership to new heights, and conveyed Riyadh’s commitment to strengthening cooperation in multiple domains.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended the meeting, where Pakistan reiterated its readiness to expand joint exercises, training programs and experience exchanges.
Earlier, at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Field Marshal Asim Munir held detailed talks with General Al-Ruwaili on strengthening long-standing military cooperation, expanding counter-terrorism efforts and deepening security coordination, which both leaders described as pillars of the strategic relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
General Al-Ruwaili appreciated Pakistan’s cooperation with the Saudi armed forces in multiple fields and reaffirmed his commitment to promoting strong ties of defense partnership, following which he laid a wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada and received a guard of honour.
At the Joint Chiefs of Staff Headquarters, General Al-Ruwaili met with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, to discuss global and regional security developments, explore concrete measures to deepen military engagement, and reaffirm shared commitment to promote strategic defense ties.
General Sahir Shamshad reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia and ensuring the protection of Harmain al-Sharifain, emphasizing that this commitment formed a constant cornerstone of the relationship between the two countries.
During these engagements, both sides affirmed the intention to accelerate the implementation of the defense agreement, strengthen institutional coordination and expand military-to-military collaboration, highlighting the depth of the bilateral partnership rooted in decades of cooperation and shared strategic interests.
