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Tuesday, September 1Tuesday, September 1
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia formalized their trilateral defense cooperation on Monday by establishing a permanent secretariat in Riyadh under the Mecca Defense Alliance. The decision came during the inaugural Strategic Political and Defense Committee meeting in Istanbul, attended by senior defense and diplomatic officials from the three countries. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced the alliance had taken its first institutional steps to enhance collective deterrence and regional stability.
The same day, representatives of the three nations held the first meeting of the committee, created earlier this month for collective defense. The agreement solidifies the Mecca Agreement, a framework for deeper security ties between the signatories.
Meanwhile, EU foreign and defense ministers gathered in Wicklow, Ireland, for talks centered on Ukraine and the Middle East. Defense ministers met on Tuesday to discuss the bloc’s €90 billion aid loan for Kyiv, further military support for Ukraine, and defense industry cooperation. The agenda also included the growing role of space in modern defense and Middle East stability, with a focus on Lebanon and maritime security.
EU foreign ministers arrived in Wicklow on Tuesday evening ahead of Wednesday’s discussions on additional support for Ukraine, including potential new sanctions against Russia. The bloc is also weighing the use of approximately €210 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets. The Middle East portion of the talks is expected to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and possible sanctions related to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Helen McEntee is hosting the meetings at Druids Glen hotel as part of the country’s rotating EU Council presidency. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is set to join the foreign ministers’ session, alongside Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and the foreign ministers of Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. German officials are pushing for a new sanctions package targeting Russia, potentially including restrictions on alumina exports, which could affect Aughinish Alumina’s refinery in County Limerick.
A British warship and a submarine-hunting helicopter were deployed to provide security for the EU gathering, following a request from Irish authorities. The defense ministers’ meeting also included NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska as a participant.
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