Kuwait approves 5-year defence cooperation pact with Pakistan

New Delhi: Oil-rich Kuwait, following in the footsteps of Saudi Arabia, has ratified a broad defence cooperation agreement with Pakistan that establishes a framework for partnership but does not explicitly ensure deployment of Pakistani troops on its territory.

The agreement was approved through a decree-law on Sunday, three years after it was signed in June 2023. The pact establishes a framework for cooperation between the two armed forces, focusing on military training, education, intelligence sharing, logistics, defence technology, research and exchanges of expertise, to strengthen institutional military ties between the two countries, according to a report published in Kuwait News Agency or KUNA late Sunday night. The agreement includes cooperation in defence manufacturing, electronic communication systems, scientific research, military media and cultural and sports activities. A joint military committee will oversee the implementation, including organising exercises, official visits and other joint programmes, the KUNA reported. "The agreement will remain in force for five years and will be automatically renewed unless either country chooses to withdraw. Both sides have also committed to protecting confidential military information and resolving any disputes through diplomatic channels," according to the KUNA report.

ET had reported last week that Kuwait and Pakistan are negotiating a broad defence pact on the lines of the Saudi-Pakistan defence pact.