New Delhi: India on Thursday said it will closely study the Defence Agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, vowing to protect its national interests.
The statement follows the signing of a “Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement” between Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The pact declares that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”
Responding to media queries, Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, said that India will study the implications of this development for its national security as well as for regional and global stability.
“We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan,” Jaiswal said. “The Indian Government was aware that this development, which formalizes a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration.”
The Indian Government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains, he added.
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Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Thursday reaffirmed the strong alliance between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, declaring the two nations as one united front against any aggressor.
On social media platform X, Prince Khalid bin Salman stated: “KSA and Pakistan. One front against any aggressor. Always and forever.”
The announcement follows the signing of a “Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement” between Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, on Wednesday. The agreement explicitly states that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”
