Top officials from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to meet in Istanbul on Monday for the first time since the three countries signed a joint defence pact earlier this month, as they move to deepen military and strategic cooperation.

The meeting will bring together the foreign and defence ministers and chiefs of staff of the three countries, Turkish officials said on Sunday.

According to AFP, the Istanbul meeting will formally establish a “political and defence strategic committee” bringing together senior representatives from the three countries.

Turkish Foreign Ministry sources told Reuters that the talks will focus on international security developments, as well as ways to strengthen military cooperation and enhance defence capabilities.

The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement earlier this month, creating a collective security framework under which an armed attack on one member could be treated as an attack on all three.

The pact was established in the wake of the United States-Israel war on Iran, significantly deepening defence ties among the three Muslim-majority countries.

Türkiye has NATO’s second-largest military, Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority country, and Saudi Arabia is the world’s leading oil exporter, giving the emerging security partnership significant military and economic weight.

The pact could also expand beyond its founding members. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an August interview with Al Jazeera that Egypt could potentially join the agreement.

Bangladesh has also said it is actively considering joining the pact, raising the prospect of a wider security grouping.

The potential expansion is being closely watched by India. New Delhi’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India would take all necessary measures to protect its national security interests.