India examining Mecca Joint Defence Agreement's impact on national security, regional stability, says MEA

India is examining the implications of the newly signed Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday, adding that the pact is being assessed from the standpoint of both national security and regional stability.

Responding to questions on the agreement at the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We continue to closely follow developments in the West Asia conflict. As far as this particular agreement is concerned, we are examining its implications, both from the perspective of our national security, as well as considerations of regional stability, peace and stability." He added that India remains fully committed to safeguarding its national interests and will take all necessary measures in this regard.

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What is the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement?

The pact was signed on Friday, August 7, in the Saudi holy city of Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to statements issued by all three countries.

Under the agreement, any armed attack against one of the three states will be regarded as an attack against all three. Official statements from the three countries said the pact "is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression" and "provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defence cooperation among the three states."

Saudi Arabia issued a separate statement clarifying that the agreement does not amount to a military axis or a religious bloc, and is not linked to nuclear activity or an arms race. The statement said the pact is aimed instead at "building sustainable self-reliant capabilities" and does not come at the expense of the kingdom's existing strategic relationships at the Gulf, Arab and international levels.

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Erdogan, in a post on X, said the agreement is based on collective deterrence and will deepen cooperation in defence, support joint defence industry projects and strengthen counter-terrorism efforts. He said the pact reaffirms the right of defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, does not target any country, and remains open to other countries seeking regional peace, prosperity and stability.

A Turkish government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the agreement as purely defensive in nature and said it does not annul or replace any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements the three countries have with other states or organisations.

The Mecca agreement builds on the bilateral Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had signed in September, which similarly defines an attack on either nation as an attack on both.