The Badr agreement comes two months after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August. Under that agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all of them, establishing a collective defence commitment among the signatories.Pakistan, Turkiye, Qatar, Indonesia sign defence pact to boost military cooperation (Screen grab: X/@MOD_Qatar) Two months after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Pakistan, Turkiye, Qatar and Indonesia on Wednesday signed a new multilateral defence pact in Doha, seeking to strengthen military capabilities and expand cooperation in defence manufacturing, training and research.The agreement, titled the ‘Badr Memorandum of Understanding’, was signed by Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Gler, Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman, and Indonesia's Deputy Defence Minister Yusuf Jauhari, according to a statement from the Turkish Defence Ministry.Qatar's Ministry of Defence said the agreement aims to deepen strategic partnerships among the four countries and promote cooperation across various defence-related sectors.PACT TO BOOST DEFENCE INDUSTRIES AND MILITARY TRAININGIn a post on X, Qatar's Ministry of Defence described the agreement as a step towards strengthening joint cooperation and developing strategic partnerships among the signatories.
The pact seeks to promote collaboration in defence manufacturing, improve the participating countries' defence capabilities and expand cooperation in technical military training, research and development.It is also intended to support the development of modern defence technologies and industries, allowing the four countries to pool their capabilities and address emerging military requirements. Qatar's defence ministry said the agreement carried significant economic importance for the signatories, as cooperation and integration could help them develop their defence industrial capacities.
It added that the arrangement could also help the participating countries meet the defence requirements of allied and friendly nations.Pakistan's Foreign Office had not issued a statement on the agreement at the time of publication.HOW THE BADR MoU DIFFERS FROM THE MECCA PACTThe Badr agreement comes two months after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August.Under that agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all of them, establishing a collective defence commitment among the signatories.The latest pact brings Qatar and Indonesia into a new framework for defence cooperation with Pakistan and Turkiye. However, the stated objectives of the Badr memorandum centre on defence industry collaboration, capability development, military training and research.The available statements from the participating countries did not indicate that the Badr MoU establishes a mutual defence commitment similar to the one outlined in the Mecca agreement.The name Badr appears to refer to the site of the first major military engagement between the early Muslim community and the tribes of Makkah.
The historic location is in present-day Saudi Arabia.PACT SIGNED AMID RISING GULF TENSIONSThe agreement comes amid heightened tensions in the Gulf region and indications that the United States could be preparing for another round of hostilities with Iran.The evolving regional security environment has added significance to defence partnerships among countries seeking to strengthen their military capabilities and expand cooperation in defence production and technology.However, the statements issued by the participating countries did not identify any specific country as the target of the agreement.- EndsWith PTI inputs