Kuwaiti defence delegation meets CDF Munir, discusses regional security: ISPR | The Express Tribune

Pakistan and Kuwait on Thursday signed the ‘Protocol Agreement-2026’ to expand bilateral defence cooperation and enhance their existing military cooperation framework.

“The Protocol Agreement-2026 was signed between Pakistan and Kuwait, significantly enhancing the existing military cooperation framework established under the Defence Cooperation Agreement-2023,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.

According to the statement, a high-level Kuwaiti delegation, led by Kuwaiti Defence Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Saleem Al-Sabah accompanied by the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Kuwait, Lieutenant General Khalid Darj Saad Al-Shriaan, called on Defence Minister Khawaja Asif at the Ministry of Defence, Rawalpindi.

“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest were discussed, with particular focus on bilateral defence relations, security cooperation and further strengthening defence ties between Pakistan and Kuwait,” it said.

The ministry said that under the new agreement, the Armed Forces of Pakistan would extend assistance to the Armed Forces of Kuwait in diverse fields, including training, capacity building, border management and other mutually agreed areas of defence collaboration.

“The agreement reflects the deep trust, mutual respect and shared strategic interests underpinning the longstanding defence relationship between the two brotherly countries,” said the statement.

It further added that both sides reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen this partnership in support of mutual security and regional peace and stability.

The recent agreement came amid growing regional efforts to enhance security cooperation, following the signing of the “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement” by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye earlier this month.

The agreement was signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, held at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah.

The “Makkah Joint Defence Agreement” is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all.

Turkey has NATO’s second-largest military. Saudi Arabia, the strongest Gulf state, is home to Islam’s holiest sites and one of the world’s top oil exporters, while ​Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim country.

Earlier in the day, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir met Kuwait’s chief of general staff of the armed forces at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi with the two sides discussing regional security and ways to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting focused on matters of mutual interest, regional security and defence collaboration between Pakistan and Kuwait. “Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing institutional ties and expanding mutually beneficial defence collaboration between the two brotherly countries,” it said.

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The Kuwaiti delegation, led by Sheikh Abdullah, appreciated the “professionalism, operational excellence and valuable contributions” of the Pakistan Armed Forces towards regional peace and stability, ISPR said.

The engagement reaffirmed Pakistan and Kuwait’s resolve to further consolidate their “historic and brotherly relations” into a strong and enduring defence partnership, the statement read. The two countries also expressed their commitment to strengthening defence ties in a manner that contributes to regional security and stability, it added.

On July 27, Anadolu Agency reported that Kuwait had ratified a broad defence cooperation agreement with Pakistan, three years after it was signed, according to the country’s official gazette.

The agreement was approved and published on Sunday in the official gazette, Kuwait Al-Youm, formalising a defence pact signed by the two countries in June 2023, the Kuwait Times reported.

The agreement establishes a framework for military cooperation between the Kuwaiti and Pakistani armed forces, covering military training, education, intelligence sharing, logistics, defence technology, research and exchanges of expertise, to strengthen institutional military ties between the two countries.

It also provides for cooperation in military manufacturing, electronic communications systems, scientific research, military media and cultural and sports activities.

Under the agreement, a joint military committee will oversee implementation, including the organisation of joint military exercises, official visits and other cooperative programs.

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The pact will remain in force for five years and will be automatically renewed unless either side decides to terminate it. It also commits both countries to protecting confidential military information and resolving any disputes arising from the agreement through diplomatic channels.

The ratification follows a series of high-level contacts between Kuwaiti and Pakistani military officials in recent months aimed at expanding bilateral defence coordination.