On 7 August 2026, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye jointly entered into a defence alliance, known as the ‘Mecca Joint Defence Agreement‘. Under this pact, an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three, and accordingly, the three countries would provide each other with the necessary defence support. In the parlance of international relations, this arrangement constitutes a formal alliance, where an attack on any one member is effectively an attack on all. During the Cold War, from 1945 to 1991, several military and defence alliances emerged on the global stage. Examples include the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Warsaw Pact, the Australia-New Zealand security arrangement, the United States-South Korea alliance, and the US-Japan alliance, among others.
Pakistan is a neighbouring country to India, and both have had a tense bilateral relationship since their inception, due to political issues and Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the Jammu and Kashmir region. Therefore, a country that has been nurturing terrorism and unleashing it into the territory of India has entered into an alliance framework. Hence, this new trilateral agreement is also likely to have implications for India.
In this context, there are two major possible implications for India:
First, Pakistan may become more confident knowing that two countries are available to provide assistance or defence cooperation in times of crisis. Particularly in the event of an India–Pakistan conflict, India may need to consider the possibility of diplomatic or other forms of support that Pakistan could receive from Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Over the last decade, India and Pakistan have repeatedly skirted the brink of large-scale conflict. From the 2016 surgical strikes, a direct response to attacks in Poonch and Uri, to the 2019 Balakot airstrikes following the Pulwama tragedy, and the 2025 operations after the Pahalgam killings, India has consistently responded to cross-border provocations with targeted, punitive strikes. The key point here is that India has kept retaliating against the terrorist attacks in the form of small-scale military operations in Pakistan’s territory, destroying terror infrastructure. India is likely to continue similar strikes if Pakistan does not stop sending terrorists across the border and harbouring terrorism in the country. India has also announced that the ‘Operation Sindoor‘ that was launched in May 2025 is continuing, in some form or another. On the other hand, Pakistan has been seeing these strikes as a gross violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Hence, the second implication India likely faces is that if it were to undertake any military action within Pakistani territory in the future, it would have to consider not only Pakistan’s response but also its relations with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, as they are now in formal military alliances. This is particularly important in the case of Saudi Arabia, with which India has developed cordial and increasingly strategically significant bilateral relations over the past few years. Therefore, India must carefully calibrate its security responses to ensure that military necessity does not create untenable friction with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
On the other hand, India’s relations with Türkiye have not been that cordial because of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s close ties and support for Pakistan, along with Türkiye’s overall support for Pakistan on the Jammu and Kashmir issue. Additionally, Türkiye’s support for Pakistan with drone delivery during the Operation Sindoor against India has strained bilateral ties. Despite that, attempts have been made at the Track 2 dialogue level to mend India-Türkiye bilateral ties. Still, the ultimate result will depend upon how the two sides accommodate each other’s strategic interests.
However, there is another important aspect that needs to be taken into consideration in this entire situation, which is that India’s position has consistently been ‘anti-terrorism and counter terrorism‘. India has been taking an active stance on counter terrorism, right from raising public awareness, counter terrorism challenges at international forums, in bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral diplomatic engagements, to taking hard punitive actions on the ground, including military strikes on terror infrastructure. Hence, India’s primary focus has been on destroying the terror infrastructure and system. Even if India has carried out strikes in the territory of Pakistan, India has categorically taken a position that this action is not against the state or civilian population of Pakistan, but against the terrorists and terror infrastructure.
A normative, balanced and pragmatic position on counter terrorism could become particularly important for India in the coming period, especially while engaging diplomatically with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, during the India-Pakistan conflict over counter-terrorism.
In particular, India would need to effectively communicate that any potential military action it would take against Pakistan is neither directed against Pakistan’s civilian population nor against Pakistan’s sovereign existence, but specifically against terrorist infrastructure. India has consistently shared intelligence regarding terror infrastructure with the Pakistani government. To strengthen its position, India should proactively share this same intelligence with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, as well as the broader international community, to show that its military actions respond to specific, actionable threats. This will help India justify its position internationally, especially to Pakistan’s allies.
Nevertheless, against the backdrop of this new defence alliance, what position Saudi Arabia and Türkiye will ultimately adopt, and in what ways they will cooperate with India on issues concerning Indian interests, will become clear only with time.
Nihar Kulkarni is a PhD scholar of international relations at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland. His PhD thesis examines “the evolution of India’s strategic partnership with Japan in the Indo-Pacific region since 2007." His research areas include India’s foreign policy and national security, geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific region, great power politics, strategic partnerships, and alliance frameworks. His work primarily examines evolving strategic and geopolitical dynamics in Asia and the broader international system.
Więcej informacji na temat: newslettera, polityki prywatności serwisu
czytaj więcej
Asia-Integration – Follow-up Report on Polish Policy Challenges Towards Asian Countries
The debate was the consequence of positive reactions to the open letter that the Boym Institute published in the summer of 2020. Many of its readers pointed out the necessity of broad consultations regarding the principles of the new multidimensional policy in order to reflect the diversity of perspectives, interests and conditions.
Will 2023 be the year of improving relations between Albania and South Korea?
In April 2021, the 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Albania was officially organized in the South Korean embassy in Athens, the capital of Greece. The localization of these official festivities perfectly pictured the nature of the relations between these two countries.
Nicolas LeviEurope and the Consequences of China’s First Step on the Moon
Just a few years ago, it was assumed that the United States would almost automatically reclaim the lead in landing on the Moon. The original timeline envisioned Artemis III for 2024, but successive delays pushed the mission first to 2025–2026 and now to no earlier than mid-2027.
Kamil GolemoTaiwanese Perceptions of Russia’s Ukraine war
Since the invasion of Ukraine, the Taiwanese government remained committed to its position of condemnation for Russia, humanitarian support for Ukraine, and deep appreciation and admiration for the Ukrainian people’s will to defy power, resist aggression, and defend their nation.
Kuan Ting ChenIn the first part of this analysis of Ulaanbaatar’s winning 2040 General Development Plan Conception (GDPC) I look into the historical preconditions for the city’s planned development as well as present the legislative climate in which works on Ulaanbaatar’s future development strategies have recently found themselves.
Paweł SzczapPatrycja Pendrakowska made it to the Top 40 under 40 Europe-India leaders list
#EuropeIndia40, an initiative of EICBI, covers the stories of leaders below the age of 40 and their contributions to promoting EU India / UK India relations.
Central Asia. The winding road to regional integration
The aim of the paper is to present the current stage of integration among the Central Asian republics and to analyze directions and dynamics of this process in the nearest future. This study also attempts to identify factors which can either slow down or strengthen the process of integration as well as its causes and consequences.
Jerzy OlędzkiCoronavirus and climate policies: long-term consequences of short-term initiatives
As large parts of the world are gradually becoming habituated to living in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, global attention has turned to restarting the economy. One of the most consequential impacts of these efforts will be that on our climate policies and environmental conditions.
Dawid JuraszekAdam Institute for Democracy & Peace – Crowdfunding Campaign December 2020
Democracy in Israel is in crisis. And if we don't educate for democracy, it just won't exist. It's that simple. The actual teaching of democracy, on the other hand, isn't so simple. It requires experience, theoretical and practical knowledge and the flexibility to adapt to our ever-changing reality.
An “Asian NATO”: Chances and perspectives
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has reinvigorated NATO. Can the Chinese pressure on its neighbours, especially Taiwan, create an Asian equivalent of NATO?
Paweł BehrendtGlobal Gateway 101: A Short Guide to the EU’s Development Initiatives and their Challenges in Asia
The 2010s and 2020s have been marked by intense geopolitical competition, not only in traditional military and economic terms but also in the realm of global development initiatives.
Konrad SzattersPatrycja Pendrakowska as a founding member of the WICCI’s India-EU Business Council
By sharing knowledge, business opportunities, and best practices the Council generates awareness of women's contributions in developing the India-EU relations.
Book review: “North Korean Defectors in a New and Competitive Society”
Book review of "North Korean Defectors in a New and Competitive Society", written by Lee Ahlam - assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Human Resource Development at Xavier University Cincinnati, Ohio.
Nicolas LeviMeeting with Dr. Uki Maroshek-Klarman
It’s a great pleasure for the Boym Institute to organize an open meeting with dr Uki Maroshek who founded the betzavta method. Betzavta is taught across the globe at the Adam Institute for Democracy and Peace in Jerusalem as well as in other institutions in Europe and the Middle East.
Roman Catholic cemetery in Harbin (1903-1958)
First burials of Catholics, mostly Poles but also other Non-Orthodox believers took place in future Harbin in the so called small „old” or later Pokrovskoe Orthodox cemetery in the future European New Town quarter and small graveyards at the military and civilian hospitals of Chinese Eastern Railway at the turn of XIX and XX century.
Jerzy Czajewski“Green growth” may well be more of the same
Witnessing the recent flurry of political activity amid the accelerating environmental emergency, from the Green New Deal to the UN climate summits to European political initiatives, one could be forgiven for thinking that things are finally moving forward.
Dawid JuraszekThe 16th India-Japan Summit: What It Means for the Indo-Pacific and the Quad
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited New Delhi from 1-3 July 2026 for the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit; this visit followed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tokyo for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit in August 2025.
Nihar KulkarniLessons for China and Taiwan from the war in Ukraine
The situation of Taiwan and Ukraine is often compared. The logic is simple: a democracy is threatened by a repressive, authoritarian regime making territorial claims and denying it the right to exist.
Paweł BehrendtThe Adam Institute invites you to join us for a new engaging course, tailored to participants from Poland, taught on ZOOM.
From ‘strategic engagement’ to ‘competition’. Interview with William Yu
Ewelina Horoszkiewicz in conversation with Professor William Yu (UCLA) on USA, China and Europe. Professor William Yu is an economist with the UCLA Anderson Forecast and specializes in the economies of Los Angeles and China.
Ewelina HoroszkiewiczPatrycja Pendrakowska as a participant of Women Economic Forum (WEF) in India
The interactive discussion covers recent projects and collaborations which have contributed to a greener economy in India
The North Korean nuclear dismantlement and the management of its nuclear wastes
Evidence suggests that North Korea stores its high-level nuclear waste (HLW) in liquid form in tanks on the same site where it is made, and has not invested in infrastructure to reduce, dentrify, or vitrify this waste. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, one of many aspects of the North Korean nuclear waste problem.
Nicolas LeviPatrycja Pendrakowska and Paweł Behrendt on navigating Sino-Polish relations
We are proud to annouce, that Patrycja Pendrakowska and Paweł Behrendt made a contribution to the latest project of the Baltic Security Foundation, The Jamestown Foundation and the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation.
To free oneself from the Chinese embrace. On Indo-Russian relations with Nandan Unnikrishnan
Interview with Nandan Unnikrishnan, who has served for many years as a correspondent for Indian media in Russia. Currently he is a research fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi. The interview was conducted during the Raisina Dialogue 2019 in Delhi.
Krzysztof Zalewski