Yemen welcomes the (Mecca Joint Defense) agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan
Aden, Aug 8 (KUNA) -- The Yemeni government welcomed on Saturday the announcement of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, regarding it as a strategic step to enhance collective security and joint deterrence, and to confront challenges threatening the security and stability of the region.
In a statement received by the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that this agreement embodies the shared political will of the three countries to unify efforts and strengthen defense cooperation in the face of threats and challenges affecting regional security, foremost among which are terrorist attacks, arms smuggling, and threats targeting neighboring states and international sea lanes.
The statement praised Saudi Arabia’s leadership role in building responsible regional and international partnerships, and its effective contribution to enhancing regional security and stability, reaffirming Yemen’s support for efforts based on cooperation, mutual respect, protection of state sovereignty and territorial integrity, confronting shared challenges, and consolidating regional and international peace and security.
It emphasized that the announcement of the agreement, days after the establishment of the multinational maritime defense coalition, reflects growing commitment to collective responsibility and enhanced deterrence capabilities against terrorism and cross-border threats.
It noted that this holds particular significance for Yemen, given that its security and stability are inseparable from those of the region, and that supporting the Yemeni state and its legitimate institutions, and enabling them to assert their sovereignty, constitute a fundamental pillar in building a more capable regional system to protect the security and stability of its states, and to secure the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and safeguard freedom of navigation and international trade.
The Yemeni Supreme National Defense Council had welcomed, in its meeting on Friday evening chaired by Rashad al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, the announcement of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, considering it an important strategic step to enhance collective security, consolidate regional stability, and develop defense cooperation among the three countries.
The Council praised Saudi Arabia’s leadership role in building responsible regional and international partnerships based on principles of cooperation and mutual respect, and its effective contribution to enhancing regional security and its waterways, protecting the interests of its peoples, and confronting shared challenges with a spirit of responsibility and collective coordination. (End) S.N.S./M.N.F.
