Qatar: Security agreement with NATO

Doha took another step to bolster its standing with key Western allies by signing a security agreement with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in Brussels. The deal was signed on 16 January by Qatar Armed Forces head of international military co-operation Brigadier General Tariq Khalid Alobaidli and NATO deputy secretary-general Rose Gottemöller. It provides a framework for the exchange of classified information and is similar in scope to existing security agreements NATO has with Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE.