Islamabad (GNP): Pakistan and Kuwait have formalized the “Protocol Agreement-2026,” building substantially on the military cooperation framework already established under the 2023 Defence Cooperation Agreement, according to a press release issued here.
Under the new arrangement, Pakistan’s Armed Forces will provide support to Kuwait’s Armed Forces across several areas, including training, capacity building, border management and other jointly agreed aspects of defence collaboration.
The agreement, the statement noted, reflects the deep trust, mutual respect and shared strategic outlook that have long defined the defence relationship between the two countries, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to further building this partnership in the interest of mutual security and regional stability.
A senior Kuwaiti delegation, headed by Minister of Defence Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Saleem Al-Sabah and accompanied by Lieutenant General Khalid Darj Saad Al-Shriaan, Chief of General Staff of Kuwait’s Armed Forces, met with Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. The talks covered matters of shared interest, with emphasis on bilateral defence ties, security cooperation, and ways to further deepen the relationship between the two countries.
According to earlier reporting, Kuwait had been seeking a considerably expanded Pakistani military footprint, potentially involving thousands of troops along with fighter jets, drones and air-defense systems — though a Pakistani security official indicated at the time that Islamabad was not weighing the deployment of combat troops.
Pakistan’s defense engagement with Middle Eastern countries has been growing amid a regional security landscape reshaped by the conflict involving Iran, which has raised concerns over the safety of energy-producing Arab states. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, under which an attack on any one of the three nations would be treated as an attack on all — an arrangement the three governments have described as defensive in nature rather than aimed at any specific country.
These moves come as nations throughout the Middle East reconsider their security postures amid a conflict that erupted on February 28 following US and Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequently expanded across the region, with Kuwait among the Gulf states affected.
During Thursday’s visit, the Kuwaiti delegation also met with Field Marshal Asim Munir at Pakistan’s military headquarters, where discussions centered on regional security and both sides agreed to broaden institutional defense cooperation.
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In a statement released following the meeting, the military said the engagement “reaffirmed the resolve of Pakistan and Kuwait to further consolidate their historic and brotherly relations into a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial defense partnership, contributing to regional security and stability.”
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
