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ISLAMABAD: Egypt has congratulated Pakistan and ������Ƶ on the signing of a ‘Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement’ and described it as an “important milestone,” the Pakistani foreign office said on Friday.

Pakistan and ������Ƶ signed the pact on Wednesday, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, a move that will enhance joint deterrence and strengthen decades of military and security cooperation.

The defense agreement comes at a time of extreme volatility in the Middle East, where prolonged conflicts have heightened fears of wider instability, reinforcing the urgency Gulf states place on stronger security and defense partnerships.

In his telephonic conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty said the defense agreement will strengthen longstanding partnership, trust and cooperation between Pakistan and ������Ƶ.

“The two leaders also exchanged views on regional & international developments, underscoring the importance of peace, stability & economic progress,” the Pakistani foreign office said. “They reaffirmed their commitment to multilateral cooperation and look forward to substantive interactions at the United Nations General Assembly next week.”

The agreement also materializes as Pakistan looks to escape a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that forced it to secure loan packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). ������Ƶ has bailed Pakistan out of financial troubles over the years, extending loans to the South Asian country and providing it oil against deferred payments.

Defense and economic experts have said that the pact can help Islamabad stabilize its economy via increased jobs, sharing of technology and exports to the Kingdom.

“Yes, both Muslim brotherly countries are leveraging their respective strengths in this historic pact: Pakistan’s military capability and ������Ƶ’s economic strength,” Mushahid Hussain Syed, former chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Defense, told Arab News on Thursday.

Khaqan Najeeb, former finance adviser to Pakistan’s finance ministry, said the pact had formalized decades of ties and opened space for deeper trade and investment between Pakistan and ������Ƶ.

“For ������Ƶ, Pakistan offers fertile land, skilled labor and potential food security links,” Najeeb said. “For Pakistan, Riyadh is its top remittance source and a critical investor.”

He said the defense agreement is in line with ������Ƶ’s Vision 2030 program and gives Pakistan a chance to stabilize its economy “through jobs, capital, and technology.”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will continue to work with China in countering terrorism and extremism, while expanding cooperation in agriculture, manufacturing, livestock, industry, mining and new technologies, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Thursday.

The statement came after his meeting with Chen Xiaojiang, the Communist Party secretary of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in Urumqi, at which the president reaffirmed Pakistan-China friendship as the cornerstone of Islamabad’s foreign policy.

Pakistan views China as an important strategic ally and investment partner, which has funneled billions of dollars into the country under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy and infrastructure project for over a decade.

Despite massive investments, Chinese projects and nationals have been hit by militant attacks in recent years, with Beijing pressing Islamabad to step up security of Chinese nationals and initiatives in the South Asian country.

“Pakistan will continue to cooperate with China to eliminate terrorism and extremism,” President Zardari was quoted as saying by his office. “Pakistan and China will increase cooperation in the fields of agriculture, industry, minerals and new technology.”

Beijing is Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade topping $25 billion in recent years, while Chinese firms have also invested heavily in Pakistan’s power, transport, infrastructure, telecommunication and other projects.

Highlighting Xinjiang’s pivotal role in CPEC, the President encouraged greater industrial and agricultural collaboration, noting the potential of Special Economic Zones in Gilgit-Baltistan. He invited people from Xinjiang to visit Pakistan’s northern regions, hoping that these visits would further strengthen cultural and economic bonds, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

In his remarks, Chen underlined that Xinjiang has become a hub of prosperity and is advancing in agriculture and livestock, adding that he looked forward to deepening government-to-government and business-to-business cooperation with Pakistan, particularly in agriculture, livestock, mining and industry.

“He reaffirmed the desire to work closely on security and counter-terrorism as well,” the broadcaster said.

The development comes during President Zardari’s ten-day visit to China that began on Sept. 12. The president has since had a number of engagements with Chinese political and business figures, aimed at further strengthening ties between the two countries.
Beijing and Islamabad this week signed multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) aimed at strengthening cooperation in agriculture, environmental protection and mass transit, Zardari’s office said.

“These MoUs reflect a practical step toward strengthened cooperation between Pakistan and China in agriculture, technology, and environmental management,” Zardari said at the signing ceremony.