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
Polish women do not often become the heroines of media reports in Central Asia. In February 2020, however, it was different. The story of Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska, a journalist, "heated up" the headlines of local news portals. More importantly, "between the lines" she talked a lot about contemporary Uzbekistan and the role of women in politics.
Magdalena Sobańska-CwalinaAssessing the New U.S. National Security Strategy: Key Takeaways on Asia
On 4th December 2025 the Donald Trump administration released the new National Security Strategy (NSS) of the United States of America. What are the key takeaways on Asia?
Jakub WitczakA Story of Victory? The 30th Anniversary of Kazakh Statehood and Challenges for the Future.
On 25 May 2021, the Boym Institute, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, organised an international debate with former Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski (1995-2005).
After the darkness of the Cultural Revolution, the times of the Chinese transformation had come. In 1978, Deng Xiaoping realised the need to educate a new generation of leaders: people proficient in science, management and politics. Generous programmes were created that aimed at attracting back to China fresh graduates of foreign universities, young experts, entrepreneurs and professionals.
Ewelina HoroszkiewiczNavigating tomorrow – the significance of Australia’s navy build-up
Australia has recently announced a plan to build the largest fleet since World War II. This move constitutes another step in Canberra's shift of defence strategy and commitment to adapt to the changing security environment.
Jakub WitczakGuidance for Workplaces on Preparing for Coronavirus Spread
Due to the spread of coronavirus, the following workplace recommendations have been issued by the Ministry of Development, in cooperation with the Chief Sanitary Inspector. We also invite you to read article about general information and recommendations for entrepreneurs.
Women’s liberation in China: interview with prof. Wu Lijuan
Interview of Ewelina Horoszkiewicz with prof. Wu Lijuan - Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology at Peking University. Her research concentrates on the gender issues and social changes brought about by globalization. She wrote a book “Job Placements and Job Shifts in China: The Effects of Education, Family Background and Gender”.
Ewelina HoroszkiewiczThe countries of the Indochinese Peninsula are struggling with the problem of the deteriorating state of the Mekong River, which scientists and publicists are increasingly boldly describing as an ecological disaster. Alongside climate change, existing hydropower plants and those under construction in China and Laos are among the greatest threats. These ventures deepen the regional dispute over a river crucial to communities of tens of millions of people.
Jakub KamińskiThe strategic imperatives driving ASEAN-EU free trade talks: colliding values as an obstacle
Recently revived talks aimed at the conclusion of an inter-regional free trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) are driven by strategic imperatives of both regions.
Robin RamcharanPatrycja 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.
We would like to inform, that Financial Intelligence has published interview for Balkan Development Support with Patrycja Pendrakowska.
The Global Waste Trade: Unveiling Waste Colonialism in Southeast Asia
Although 19th-century colonialism may seem like a relic of the past, the global community continues to grapple with its modern counterparts, often referred to as neo-colonialism.
Andżelika SerwatkaInterview with Arthur Tun on Myanmar’s Coup d’État
On the 1st of February 2021, Myanmar’s military forces overthrew the government and arrested the Prime Minister, Aung San Suu Kyi. On the fifth anniversary of these events, the Boym Institute decided to ask what Myanmar looks like after the coup.
Paweł MazurekBorder conflicts as political tools: the Thailand–Cambodia crisis
The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia is much more than just a territorial dispute. Rooted in historical ambiguities, it has become a tool for domestic political maneuvering in both countries and a stage for international strategic competition.
Andżelika SerwatkaOnline Course: “Conflict Resolution and Democracy”
The course will be taught via interactive workshops, employing the Adam Institute’s signature “Betzavta – the Adam Institute’s Facilitation Method“, taught by its creator, Dr. Uki Maroshek-Klarman. The award-winning “Betzavta” method is rooted in an empirical approach to civic education, interpersonal communication and conflict resolution.
Online Course: “Feminism and Democracy: a Deep Dive”
The course will be taught via interactive workshops, employing the Adam Institute’s signature “Betzavta – the Adam Institute’s Facilitation Method“, taught by its creator, Dr. Uki Maroshek-Klarman. The award-winning “Betzavta” method is rooted in an empirical approach to civic education, interpersonal communication and conflict resolution.
New Female Prime Minister Faces Thailand’s Political Turmoil
Thailand, known for military coups, political downfalls, and dashed democratic hopes, has a new Prime Minister. Paetongtarn Shinawatra is not only the youngest elected Prime Minister in the country's history and the second woman to hold this post, but she is also a member of the Shinawatra political dynasty.
Andżelika SerwatkaWill 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 LeviChinese work on the military use of artificial intelligence
Intensive modernization and the desire to catch up with the armed forces of the United States made chinese interest in the military application of futuristic technologies grow bigger.
Paweł BehrendtYoung Indo-Pacific: Forward-looking perspectives on the EU Indo-Pacific Strategy
The Boym Institute, working with other think tanks, organizes panel discussions on topics related to the European Union's Indo-Pacific strategy
“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 JuraszekAt the Boym Institute we are coming out with new initiative: #WomeninBoym, which aims to show the activity of this – often less visible – half of society. We will write about what women think, say and do. We will also publicise what women are researching and writing.
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 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