ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kuwait on Thursday signed the Protocol Agreement-2026, significantly enhancing the existing military cooperation framework established under the Defense Cooperation Agreement-2023, according to Pakistan's Ministry of Defense.

The agreement was signed during a meeting between Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and a high-level delegation led by his Kuwaiti counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Saleem Al-Sabah. The delegation included Chief of General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces Lieutenant General Khalid Darj Saad Al-Shriaan.

The two sides discussed matters of mutual interest, with particular focus on bilateral defense relations, security cooperation and further strengthening defense ties between Pakistan and Kuwait, the ministry said.

Under the new agreement, the Armed Forces of Pakistan will extend assistance to the Armed Forces of Kuwait in diverse fields, including training, capacity building, border management and other mutually agreed areas of defense cooperation.

The agreement reflects the "deep trust, mutual respect and shared strategic interests" underpinning the longstanding defense relationship between the two brotherly countries, the ministry said.

"Both sides reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen this partnership in support of mutual security and regional peace and stability," it added.

The new protocol builds on the Defense Cooperation Agreement signed by Pakistan and Kuwait in June 2023 and recently ratified by Kuwait.

According to Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that agreement provides a comprehensive institutional framework for expanding defense cooperation, covering military training and education, joint exercises, exchanges of expertise and other mutually agreed areas.

The Foreign Office has said the 2023 agreement builds on a defense partnership dating back to the early 1980s and will strengthen institutional links between the armed forces of both countries.

The latest agreement comes as Pakistan continues to deepen defense cooperation with key regional partners. On August 7, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed a separate Joint Defence Agreement in Makkah.

Pakistan's Foreign Office has described that trilateral agreement as defensive in nature, aimed at collective deterrence and regional stability, and not directed against any country.

Separately, the Kuwaiti defense minister and Lieutenant General Al-Shriaan called on Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting covered matters of mutual interest, regional security and ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

"Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing institutional ties and expanding mutually beneficial defense collaboration between the two brotherly countries," ISPR said.

The Kuwaiti delegation also appreciated the professionalism and operational capabilities of the Pakistan Armed Forces and acknowledged their "valuable contributions" toward promoting regional peace and stability.

The two sides reaffirmed their resolve to further consolidate their historic and fraternal ties and strengthen an enduring, mutually beneficial defence partnership, according to ISPR.

The signing of the Protocol Agreement-2026 adds a new layer to the institutional defence relationship established by the 2023 agreement, with cooperation now specifically extending to areas including training, capacity building and border management.

Kuwaiti Defense Minister Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Saleem Al-Sabah

Pakistan, Kuwait sign 2026 protocol to expand military cooperation framework