Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday that it welcomed Kuwait’s ratification of the Pakistan-Kuwait Defense Cooperation Agreement, which appeared recently in the official gazette and marks a key development in their bilateral relations. Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, speaking at the weekly briefing in Islamabad, called the recent visit by Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah important for both regional and bilateral reasons. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar viewed the ratification as a significant step that would bolster defense collaboration and institutional linkages between the armed forces of the two nations, according to the ministry.
The countries reaffirmed their enduring partnership and committed to expanding cooperation across trade, investment, energy, information technology, agriculture, education and health through regular high-level meetings and new joint working groups. Andrabi noted that the sides also coordinated on regional and international matters while pledging to maintain alignment at multilateral platforms. The discussions underscored a shared dedication to advancing their fraternal relationship, the spokesperson added.
A Foreign Office press release issued the previous day hailed the ratification as another important milestone in the defense partnership between the brotherly countries that dates back to the early 1980s. “This marks another important milestone in the longstanding defense partnership between the two brotherly countries, dating back to the early 1980s,” the release stated. “It also reflects the shared resolve of both sides to further strengthen bilateral defense cooperation and elevate their security partnership.”
The pact, signed on June 11, 2023, in Kuwait by Pakistan’s Ambassador Malik Muhammad Farooq and Kuwaiti Brigadier General Fawaz Khudair Muhammad Al-Harbi, creates an institutional framework for expanded collaboration that includes military training, joint exercises and exchanges of expertise. It is a five-year agreement that also encompasses intelligence sharing, logistics, defense technology and the formation of a joint military committee to develop annual cooperation plans, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has indicated. The agreement will consolidate longstanding defense ties and contribute to regional peace, security and stability through mutual trust and close institutional cooperation.
Pakistan and Kuwait have built their defense relations since the 1980s, with the new accord providing a structured basis to advance activities in mutually agreed areas while enhancing overall security partnership. The Foreign Office emphasized that both sides would continue working closely to put the provisions into practice and expand bilateral collaboration. Implementation is expected to include official visits, personnel exchanges and coordinated activities between the armed forces.
The development follows sustained high-level engagements that have focused on deepening ties beyond defense into economic and social sectors. According to the ministry, such steps reflect the commitment to sustained dialogue that benefits both nations amid evolving regional dynamics. The ratification underscores the priority both countries place on their strategic partnership.
