File photo: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif pose after signing a joint defence agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Earlier, Pakistan has separately described the situation around the Bab el-Mandeb strait as “exceptionally serious” and called on the Houthis to stop their activities, according to the background report. Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif has also said Islamabad remains committed to implementing its defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Turkey’s defence ministry has also said the continued Houthi threat in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb was negatively affecting regional security, international maritime trade and global stability.
They also voiced support for Yemen’s government in its efforts to achieve stability and peace. The joint statement comes amid heightened concerns over Houthi attacks and their impact on regional security and navigation.
The four countries expressed deep concern over the ongoing conflicts in the region and said dialogue and diplomacy were the only path to a sustainable solution. The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Tuesday affirmed Riyadh’s right to defend itself in line with international law amid escalating attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, according to Reuters.