Kuwait, Pakistan sign defence pact:Move aimed at ‘enhance readiness’ deepen military cooperation

Pakistan and Kuwait signed a pact focusing on military training, capacity building, border management, and regional security on Thursday. The decision was mutually agreed upon after a Kuwaiti delegation led by Defence Minister Sheikh Al-Sabah met with Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s military media wing ISPR said. The delegation also included Kuwait’s Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen Khaled Darj Saad Al-Shriaan. The two sides discussed regional security, bilateral defence cooperation and other issues of mutual interest. According to ISPR, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to expanding institutional ties and strengthening mutually beneficial defence collaboration. The Kuwaiti delegation also praised the professionalism and operational capabilities of Pakistan’s armed forces and their contribution to regional peace and stability. Pakistan and Kuwait also signed the Protocol Agreement 2026, expanding military cooperation under their 2023 Defence Cooperation Agreement, according to state-run Pakistan TV. The agreement was signed during a meeting between Kuwaiti Defence Minister Sheikh Abdullah and Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. Under the new arrangement, Pakistan’s armed forces will assist Kuwait in areas including training, capacity building, border management and other mutually agreed defence cooperation. The signing of the Protocol Agreement 2026 comes about a month after Kuwait ratified its 2023 Defence Cooperation Agreement with Pakistan. Days after the ratification, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah visited Pakistan and met Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir. They discussed regional security, bilateral cooperation and other issues of mutual interest. Sheikh Jarrah praised Pakistan’s support and its contribution to regional peace and stability. During the visit—his first to Pakistan by a Kuwaiti foreign minister in more than five years—he also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. High-level contacts between Pakistan and Kuwait have increased in recent months, including meetings between senior military officials and discussions on expanding defence cooperation. Kuwait has also been broadening its security partnerships amid continuing instability in the Gulf region. ​