In a significant move to strengthen a decades-old partnership, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a formal mutual defense pact on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. The pact declared that any attack against either nation shall be considered an attack on both. Responding to media queries on reports of the unprecedented step, the MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a statement on Thursday, said that the Government was aware that this long-standing pact had been under consideration.
“We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The Government was aware that this development, which formalises a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration. We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability. The Government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Our response to media queries on reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
🔗 https://t.co/jr2dL0L4xP pic.twitter.com/Exlrm4wBEw— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) September 18, 2025
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During a state visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, the two leaders inked the defence pact in Riyadh. According to a joint statement, the new agreement reflects the shared commitment of both countries to achieve security in the region at a volatile moment.
“Building on the historic partnership extending for nearly eight decades between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and based on the bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity, as well as shared strategic interests and close defence cooperation between the two countries, HRH the Crown Prince and the Pakistani prime minister signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement,” the statement read.
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