Syria considering entry into Mecca defence pact, says foreign minister

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain that discussions were under way to assess Syria’s entry into the Mecca alliance. Signed in August by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, the pact treats an attack on one member as an attack on all. Al-Shaibani called Syria an integral part of regional security and urged the development of joint deterrence and defence systems.