ISLAMABAD (The Thursday Times) — Kuwait’s Amir has issued Decree-Law No. 73 of 2026, formally ratifying the defense cooperation agreement between Kuwait and Pakistan that was originally signed on June 11, 2023, marking another step forward in the deepening defense partnership between the two countries. The decree was published in Kuwait’s official gazette, Kuwait Al-Yaum, on July 26, and was reported within minutes of each other by two Kuwaiti outlets, Al-Wasat and Huna Al-Ikhbariya.
The agreement was ratified by decree rather than through Kuwait’s National Assembly, which has remained suspended since an Amiri Order issued on May 10, 2024. The gazette text cites Article 70, paragraph 2 of Kuwait’s constitution, which requires this class of international agreement to carry the force of law, and invokes the 2024 order’s provision allowing such laws to be issued directly by decree.
Under Article 3, both countries are to prepare annual implementation plans covering joint training, education, and exercises, carried out through executive protocols, a framework officials on both sides have described as a foundation for expanding cooperation over time. Article 4 designates Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense and Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence as the two implementing authorities, while Article 5 establishes a joint military committee, chaired by appointees of each country’s defense minister, to coordinate cooperation and meet at least once a year.
The ratification builds on a broader push by Pakistan to widen its defense partnerships across the Gulf. Pakistan has separately been in talks with Kuwait on an expanded agreement involving energy cooperation and investment, reflecting growing interest among Gulf states in Islamabad’s defense capabilities and experience. Pakistan already maintains a mutual defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, signed in September 2025, underscoring its expanding role as a security partner in the region.
