The Syrian Foreign Minister responds to what was raised about Damascus joining the “Mecca Pact”

The Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, responded on Saturday to what was raised regarding Syria’s entry into regional alliances, explaining that there are ongoing discussions to evaluate Syria’s accession to the “Mecca Alliance,” which includes Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey.

Al-Shaibani said in his speech, on Saturday, during a session on the foundations of regional security within the work of the twenty-second session of the Manama Dialogue Conference 2026, “Syria has left the trench of conflicts to take its place and place at the table of the regional security industry,” according to what was reported by the Syrian “SANA” news agency.

Regarding what was raised regarding Syria’s entry into regional alliances, Asaad Al-Shaibani explained that there are ongoing discussions to evaluate Syria’s accession to the “Mecca Alliance,” stressing that Damascus is an essential part of the region’s security, and stands alongside any system that protects its stability, indicating that the region has become in dire need of developing joint deterrence and defense systems.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” during the Mecca Summit, which the Kingdom hosted, in early August, with the participation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Mohammed Shahbaz Sharif, according to a joint statement issued after the summit, at a time when the region is witnessing an escalation in violence.

Al-Shaibani stressed “standing shoulder to shoulder with the Gulf states and Jordan in the face of any aggression, and condemning the missile and drone attacks, as the stability of the Gulf is a natural extension of Syria’s security.”

Al-Shaibani said: “True security is embodied in countries capable of protecting their people, neighbors who preserve each other’s sovereignty, and pacts that stand firm in the face of difficult tests.”

The Syrian Foreign Minister pointed out that "the state-building process collides with existential challenges in southern Syria, as our lands were subjected to more than 1,000 Israeli attacks in less than two years, claiming the lives of dozens," according to what SANA reported.

Al-Shaybani renewed “the demand to return to the pre-December 8, 2024 lines and activate the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, stressing that the Golan is proud Syrian territory, and that UN Security Council Resolution No. 497 is the reference.”, according to what SANA quoted him as saying.

Al-Shaibani explained that work is underway in Syria to build a national army that will protect the nation’s borders and its highest interests.