Saudi Chief of Army Staff calls on PM Shehbaz, DPM Dar and COAS Asim Munir during his visit to Islamabad
Saudi Chief of Staff General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili meets Prime Minister Shehbaz, Deputy Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Asim Munir during his visit to Islamabad on November 24. PHOTO: APP
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signaled new strategic alignment when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Chief of Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili in Islamabad to review defense cooperation, counter-terrorism coordination and regional stability.
At the center of the discussion was the recent historic bilateral strategic defense agreement signed during the Prime Minister’s visits to Riyadh over the past two months. Sharif described the agreement as an “important step” that both sides are now committed to realizing through joint training, military exercises and expanded exchanges of expertise.
The Prime Minister stressed that Pakistan views security cooperation with the Kingdom as essential to regional peace, adding that the two countries share a long-standing determination to combat terrorism and extremism. He said the partnership, based on shared faith and mutual trust, remained an essential pillar of Pakistan’s foreign and security policy.
General Al-Ruwaili relayed congratulatory messages from Saudi leaders and affirmed Riyadh’s strong desire to elevate existing defense and strategic relations. He reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to taking cooperation to “new heights” in the coming phase. Sharif also expressed gratitude for Saudi Arabia’s “constant and unwavering support” for Pakistan, noting that relations had been further strengthened through recent high-level engagement.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also attended the meeting.
Pak-KSA defense agreement
In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a historic strategic mutual defense agreement, declaring that “any aggression against either country will be considered an aggression against both,” according to a joint Pakistani and Saudi statement. The agreement was signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz’s visit to Riyadh, at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
He added that the agreement “reflects the common commitment of the two countries to strengthen their security and achieve security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen common deterrence against any aggression.” Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a long-standing strategic and defense cooperation, but the latest agreement is seen as significant in light of recent developments, including Israeli strikes on Qatar.
