By The South Asia Times

Doha, Qatar - Pakistan, Qatar, Türkiye and Indonesia have signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in defence industries, including manufacturing, research and development, and technical training.

The agreement, known as the “Badr” MoU, was signed in Doha, Qatar, between the four countries' defence ministries and relevant defence industry institutions, according to Qatar's Ministry of Defence.

The signing ceremony was attended by Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani; Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif; Türkiye's Defence Minister Yaşar Güler; Indonesian Deputy Defence Minister for Logistics, Defence Industries and Technology Affairs Marshal Yusuf Juhari; and Haluk Görgün, head of Türkiye's Defence Industries Presidency.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the agreement reflected the participating countries' commitment to strengthening defence cooperation and contributing to regional peace and stability.

“Pakistan places great importance to strengthening defence cooperation with trusted partners,” Asif said, according to a statement shared by Qatar's Ministry of Defence.

He said the partnership would provide opportunities to enhance self-reliance, industrial collaboration, joint production and technology transfer by drawing on the complementary strengths of the participating countries' defence industries.

Asif also highlighted cooperation in joint research and development, training exchanges and the development of industrial capabilities, while emphasising compliance with relevant international and domestic laws and regulations.

The agreement aims to expand cooperation in defence manufacturing, strengthen the participating countries' defence capabilities and facilitate collaboration in technical training and research.

It is also intended to promote the development of defence technologies and industrial solutions suited to the evolving requirements of modern armed forces.

Economically, the initiative is expected to encourage the participating countries to combine their industrial expertise and manufacturing capabilities, strengthen their domestic defence sectors and improve their ability to meet the requirements of partner and friendly countries.

The agreement marks a framework for closer defence industrial cooperation among the four countries. Further details about specific joint projects, production arrangements, financial commitments and implementation timelines were not provided in the announcement.