Rawalpindi: Pakistan and Kuwait signed the Protocol Agreement 2026 on Thursday, significantly expanding their bilateral defence cooperation and enhancing the military framework established under the Defence Cooperation Agreement of 2023. The formal agreement was concluded in Rawalpindi following delegation level talks between Pakistan's Minister for Defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and a high level Kuwaiti delegation led by Kuwait’s Defence Minister, Sheikh Abdullah, Ali Abdullah, Al Saleem, Al Sabah, alongside the Chief of General Staff of the Kuwait Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Khalid Darj Saad Al Shriaan.
Under the new accord, the Pakistan Armed Forces will extend specialised operational assistance to the Kuwait Armed Forces across multiple defence domains. Key areas of collaboration include advanced military training, institutional capacity building, border management expertise, defence technology exchanges, and joint logistics. The Ministry of Defence noted that the agreement reflects deep mutual trust and shared strategic interests, reinforcing a longstanding partnership aimed at maintaining regional peace and security.
Prior to the signing ceremony, the Kuwaiti delegation visited General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi for security talks with Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir. According to (ISPR), the meeting focused on regional security dynamics and expanding institutional ties. The Kuwaiti leadership commended the operational excellence of the Pakistan Armed Forces and their ongoing contributions towards regional stability.
The signing of the Protocol Agreement 2026 comes shortly after Kuwait officially ratified the 2023 broad defence cooperation agreement in its official gazette on July 27, 2026. This development aligns with Pakistan's broader regional security initiatives, including its recent signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement alongside Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, underscoring Islamabad's growing diplomatic and defence footprint across the Middle East.
