New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs has clarified that India is closely monitoring both the new defense agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey and the Pakistan-Somalia deal. When asked about this at an MEA briefing on Friday, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We are monitoring developments.”
What is the ‘Mecca Joint Defence Agreement’?
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey recently signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. The most important condition of this agreement is that any attack on any one of these three countries will be considered an attack on the other two, meaning all three countries will respond jointly. When asked about this agreement, Jaiswal said, “We are monitoring developments.” He declined to comment further.
India also has an eye on the Pakistan-Somalia defense deal
A few days ago, a Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation was also signed between Pakistan and Somalia in Islamabad. Under this agreement, the two countries will work together in the areas of counter-terrorism cooperation, military training, defense capability development, and security. The MEA spokesperson said, “We are closely monitoring developments in Somalia, as well as the other country you mentioned.”
India-Africa relations and summits
The briefing also addressed questions about the India-Africa summit, which was postponed a few months ago due to health concerns. Jaiswal said India attaches great importance to its relations with Africa.
“A grand celebration was held on Africa Day. Every year we enthusiastically celebrate our solidarity and partnership with Africa. This time the Foreign Minister himself attended.”
He further said that India has historical and strong ties with most African countries. “Our development cooperation continues unabated. This is an important part of Global South solidarity and South-South cooperation.”
Regarding the new summit date, he said it would be decided after discussions with the African Union. India aims to hold the next summit as soon as possible and on a mutually agreed date.
Why is this agreement important?
It’s worth noting that the Pakistan-Saudi-Turkey trio’s defense agreement could alter regional dynamics. Pakistan’s defense tie-up with Somalia in Africa is also a point of concern for India. Therefore, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stated that the government is closely monitoring both developments and will determine further action as needed.
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