An important trilateral defence meeting was held at General Head Quarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi, where key defence officials from Pakistan, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia came together. The second meeting of the Trilateral Defence Collaboration Platform underscores the willingness and commitment of the three sides in exchange for military equipment technologies to create a self-sustained and certain cycle. As the platform is meant to bolster research and development in the utilisation of tech in defence equipment, this cooperation among three Muslim countries is a standard that other countries can also pick up on.
The fact that compared to the first meeting that took place in August 2023, the third meeting is planned just within a span of a month in February in Riyadh during the World Defence Show, shows that all three countries are interested in keeping the platform productive, focused, and result-oriented. Pakistan has its own unique and respectable position in defence and military capabilities. And this is why the country is a part of almost all such consortiums where either joint exercises or military hardware is involved. Many countries, especially Muslim countries, have looked up to Pakistan for this expertise.
Emphasising the pooling of resources amid historical ties, the three nations aim to expand the scope of trilateral cooperation. Religion is a strong bond that connects the three. But even in addition to that, Pakistan and Turkiye relations are marked by economic initiatives like the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO). Likewise, Saudi Arabia has long sought personnel training from Pakistan. This nature of ties makes a conducive environment where research and innovation in defence can thrive in an air of mutual trust and benefit.
There is a lot to gain from such bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral cooperation. The efforts must be sustained by all the countries involved. Such defence collaboration platforms, though very focused on their agenda and goal, have all the potential to trickle down into other possible areas of cooperation as well. Emerging military technologies are an area in which the Muslim world cannot stay behind. Hence Pakistan, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia’s collaboration is hail-worthy.