Pakistan on Thursday reaffirmed its support for the Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance (MMDA) project, welcoming the consensus reached on the alliance’s founding arrangements.
In a joint statement, representatives of 14 participating countries expressed their collective support for the MMDA initiative and endorsed the agreed framework for its establishment. The signatories welcomed the consensus on the alliance’s founding arrangements, describing it as a significant step toward strengthening multinational maritime cooperation and regional security.
Pakistan reiterated its commitment to working closely with partner nations to advance the alliance’s objectives and promote collaboration in addressing shared maritime security challenges.
The Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting of Chiefs of Staff, representatives of brotherly and friendly nations, and the European Union Delegation to the Kingdom. The meeting discussed the Kingdom’s initiative to establish a multinational maritime defence alliance, as part of efforts to enhance maritime security, protect international waterways, and counter threats targeting maritime navigation and global trade.
These countries included the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Turkey, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Yemen, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Sudan, the Republic of Djibouti, and the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Other participating countries also affirmed their support for the initiative and are in the process of completing their necessary national procedures and approvals to join the joint statement. The door to joining this statement will remain open to them and other interested countries after they complete their national procedures.
The meeting concluded by reaffirming the shared determination to move forward with completing the founding procedures for establishing the Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance. This alliance will enhance the collective ability to confront and deter threats to maritime security, protect international.
Participants discussed the increasing threats targeting maritime security, including attacks on commercial vessels, energy tankers, and maritime infrastructure, and the risks these pose. The safety of maritime navigation, the stability of global supply chains, and the international economy were emphasised, along with the importance of strengthening multilateral defence cooperation to confront and deter these threats and maintain the security of international maritime routes.
Participants also discussed the draft charter of the Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance, its reference documents, organisational structure, command and control arrangements, operational mechanisms, and future steps. This aims to ensure the establishment of an effective institutional framework that enhances maritime defence cooperation among participating states, and addresses shared maritime threats in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
During the meeting, the foundational arrangements for the Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance were discussed, most notably the designation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the founding and leading state of the alliance and as the host of its headquarters. This reflects international confidence in the Kingdom’s leading role in promoting collective maritime security.
The participants agreed to continue the work of military planners from countries wishing to join the coalition during the next phase, to complete the foundational procedures. This includes finalising the coalition charter and its reference documents, completing the organisational structure, command and control arrangements, operational mechanisms, and forming the necessary technical frameworks and teams. This will be done in parallel with the completion of national procedures by the countries wishing to join, paving the way for the signing of the charter, the launch of the coalition, and the commencement of its operations.
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