New Delhi: After Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a formal mutual defence pact on Wednesday (September 17) which stated that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that it will study the implications of the development for India’s national security as well as for regional and global stability.“We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The Government was aware that this development, which formalises a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration,” said MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a statement on Thursday (September 18).“We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability. The Government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains,” Jaiswal added.The mutual defence pact was signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia during the visit of Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Sharif signed the agreement with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman at Riyadh.“This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both,” said reported the Saudi Press Agency, the state news agency of Saudi Arabia.The pact between the two countries comes just months after the escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan at the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.“This agreement is a culmination of years of discussions. This is not a response to specific countries or specific events but an institutionalisation of longstanding and deep cooperation between our two countries,” Reuters quoted a senior Saudi official as saying about the pact.