Syrian Foreign Minister: We are considering joining the Mecca Treaty The Syrian Foreign Minister, Asad al-Shibani, said today that Damascus is considering joining the defense agreement known as the Mecca Treaty or coalition. According to the AFP news agency, Al-Shibani made these statements on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue Meeting (IISS) in Bahrain and added that "negotiations are currently underway to examine Syria's accession to the Makkah coalition."