Riyadh: The Ministry of Defense on Thursday hosted a meeting of chiefs of staff and representatives of friendly countries, as well as the Delegation of the European Union to Saudi Arabia, to discuss the Kingdom's initiative to establish a multinational maritime defense alliance. The initiative forms part of efforts to strengthen maritime security, protect international sea lanes, and counter threats targeting maritime navigation and global trade.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the meeting saw broad participation from chiefs of staff and their representatives from 43 countries, alongside the EU delegation, out of 51 countries and organizations invited. Participants attended either in person or via videoconference. The extensive participation reflects growing international interest in strengthening maritime defense cooperation and underscoring the importance of unifying efforts to address shared threats to the security of international sea lanes within the alliance's designated area of responsibility.
Participants discussed the growing threats to maritime security, including attacks targeting commercial vessels, energy tankers, and maritime infrastructure. Discussions highlighted the risks threats pose to maritime navigation safety, global supply chain stability, and the international economy. They stressed the importance of enhancing multilateral defense cooperation to counter and deter these threats and to safeguard the security of international sea lanes.
The meeting also reviewed the draft charter of the multinational maritime defense alliance, along with its reference documents, organizational structure, command-and-control arrangements, operating mechanisms, and future work plan. These arrangements are intended to establish an effective institutional framework that strengthens maritime defense cooperation among participating countries and addresses shared maritime threats in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
The meeting also discussed the foundational arrangements for the multinational maritime defense alliance initiative, foremost among them that Saudi Arabia would serve as the founding and leading state of the alliance and host its headquarters. This reflects international confidence in the Kingdom's leadership role in promoting collective maritime security.
The participants agreed that military planners from countries wishing to join the alliance would continue their work during the next phase to complete the alliance's foundational procedures. The work includes finalizing the alliance's charter and reference documents, completing its organizational structure, command-and-control arrangements, and operating mechanisms, and establishing the necessary technical groups and frameworks. In parallel, countries wishing to join the alliance will complete their national procedures in preparation for signing the charter, launching the alliance, and commencing its operations.
Saudi Arabia affirmed that the multinational maritime defense alliance is an open international initiative that welcomes all countries that share its objectives and principles. The Kingdom welcomed their accession to and participation in the alliance's efforts, in accordance with their national procedures. The Kingdom noted that the initiative aims to strengthen collective maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation and global trade, and embody the principle of shared international responsibility in addressing common threats.
It stressed that the initiative is based on the firm conviction that the security of international sea lanes is a collective responsibility requiring an effective and sustainable international partnership. As an outcome of the meeting, 14 participating countries issued a joint declaration expressing support for the multinational maritime defense alliance and welcoming the consensus reached on its foundational arrangements. The current signatories are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Trkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia.
Other countries participating in the meeting also expressed support for the initiative and are in the process of completing their internal national procedures and approvals to join the joint declaration. The declaration will remain open to those countries, as well as other interested states, once they complete their national procedures. The meeting concluded with participants reaffirming their shared determination to complete the foundational procedures for establishing the multinational maritime defense alliance.
They underscored that the alliance would strengthen the collective ability to counter and deter threats to maritime security, protect international sea lanes, safeguard freedom of navigation and global trade, and promote regional and international security and stability.