IR · 25 Aug 2026
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, 2026, establishing a "collective deterrence" arrangement under which an attack on one signatory is treated as an attack on all, was signed by which three countries?
Bangladeshi state ministers for foreign affairs signalled openness to joining the Saudi-Pakistan-Turkiye collective defence framework, raising questions in New Delhi about the durability of India's Neighbourhood First policy at a moment when regional middle powers are building security arrangements independent of India.
UPSC frequently tests newly formed international pacts and their exact signatories, since precise membership (not just the pact's existence) is what distinguishes a well-prepared candidate from a headline-level reader.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkiye; signed August 7, 2026) creates a collective-deterrence arrangement. Bangladesh's openness to it, framed as a "Bangladesh First" policy under PM Tarique Rahman, is being read as a signal of hedging away from India-centric alignment.
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