Kuwait ratifies defence cooperation pact with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Kuwait has ratified a defence cooperation agreement with Pakistan, three years after it was signed, marking another step in Islamabad's efforts to deepen military engagement with Gulf countries, according to a media report.

The agreement, which was approved and published in the official gazette, Kuwait Al-Youm, on Sunday, will remain in force for five years and will be automatically renewed unless either side opts to withdraw.

The deal establishes a framework for cooperation between the armed forces of Pakistan and Kuwait, covering military training, education, intelligence sharing, logistics, defence technology, research and exchanges of expertise to strengthen institutional military ties, the Kuwait Times reported.

Last year, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a defence agreement under which the two countries agreed to deepen military cooperation through intelligence sharing, joint training, military exercises and defence technology collaboration.

Pakistan is reportedly pursuing broader security arrangements with countries such as Qatar and Turkiye as well.

The Pakistan-Kuwait agreement provides for cooperation in military manufacturing, electronic communications systems, scientific research, military media, and cultural and sports activities, the Kuwait Times report said.

A joint military committee will oversee implementation of the agreement, including organising military exercises, official visits and other joint programmes, it said.

It added that the ratification follows a series of recent high-level contacts between Kuwaiti and Pakistani military officials aimed at expanding defence coordination.

Both countries have also committed to protecting confidential military information and resolving disputes through diplomatic channels, it said.

According to government sources in Islamabad, Pakistan is also negotiating an expanded defence pact with Kuwait in exchange for energy cooperation and investments.

"Pakistan is now seeking a defence pact with Kuwait similar to that of Saudi Arabia, including thousands of Pakistani troops on the ground, fighter jets, drones, an air defence system, and other defence-related facilities," one of the sources said.

Pakistan’s defence pact with Saudi Arabia contains an important collective security clause under which an attack on either country would be treated as an attack on both, although officials have not publicly elaborated on its operational scope.