Secret agreements between Qatar and Gulf neighbours
Qatar made a series of secret agreements with its Gulf neighbours in 2013 and 2014, signed by the leaders of those countries. A third supplemental agreement was made in 2014. The agreements are translated by CNN below and published on their website.
The handwritten 2013 agreement
On Saturday, 19/1/1435 (Hijri Calendar, November 2013), The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the King of Saudi Arabia; and his brother His Highness Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait; and his brother, His Highness Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, met in Riyadh.
They held extensive deliberations in which they conducted a full revision of what taints the relations between the [Gulf Cooperation] Council states, the challenges facing its security and stability, and means to abolish whatever muddies the relations.
Due to the importance of laying the foundation for a new phase of collective work between the council’s states, in order to guarantee its movement within a unified political framework based on the principles included in the main system of the Cooperation Council, the following has been agreed upon:
1. No interference in the internal affairs of the Council’s states, whether directly or indirectly. Not to give asylum/ refuge or give nationality to any citizen of the Council states that has an activity opposes his country’s regimes, except with the approval of his country; no support to deviant groups that oppose their states; and no support for antagonistic media.
2. No support to the Muslim Brotherhood or any of the organisations, groups or individuals that threaten the security and stability of the Council states through direct security work or through political influence.
3. Not to present any support to any faction in Yemen that could pose a threat to countries neighbouring Yemen.
The 2014 agreement
Top Secret The Supplementary Riyadh Agreement
Based on a generous invitation by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the King of Saudi Arabia, the following have met in Riyadh today, Sunday, 23/1/1436 (Hijri Calendar), 16/11/2014 (Gregorian Calendar): His Highness Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait; His Majesty King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa of Bahrain; His Highness Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar; His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
This was to cement the spirit of sincere cooperation and to emphasise the joint fate and the aspirations of the sons of the Gulf Cooperation Council for a strong bond and solid rapprochement.
After discussing the commitments stemming from the Riyadh Agreement signed 19/1/1435 (Hijri) — 23/11/2013 and its executive measures; reviewing the reports of the committee following the execution and the results of the joint follow-up [operation] room; and reviewing the conclusions of the report of the follow-up room signed on 10/1/1436 (Hijri) — 3/11/2014 (Gregorian) by the intelligence chiefs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the state of Qatar, the following [conclusions have] been reached:
1. Stressing that non-committing to any of the articles of the Riyadh Agreement and its executive measure amounts to a violation of the entirety of the agreement.
2. What the intelligence chiefs have reached in the aforementioned report is considered a step forward to implement (not clear because of the bad resolution, it could be SAVE)) Riyadh agreement and its executive measures, with the necessity of the full commitment to implementing everything stated in them (agreement and the intelligence report) within the period of one month from the date of the agreement.
3. Not to give refuge, employ, or support whether directly or indirectly, whether domestically or abroad, to any persons or a media apparatus that harbours inclinations harmful to any Gulf Cooperation Council state. Every state is committed to taking all the regulatory, legal and judicial measures against anyone who [commits] any encroachment against Gulf Cooperation Council states, including putting him on trial and announcing it in the media.
4. All countries are committed to the Gulf Cooperation Council discourse to support the Arab Republic of Egypt, and contributing to this security, stability and its financial support; and ceasing all media activity directed against the Arab Republic of Egypt in all media platforms, whether directly or indirectly, including all the offences broadcasted on Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera Mubashir Masr, and to work to stop all offences in Egyptian media.
Accordingly, it has been decided that the Riyadh Agreement, and its executive measures, and the components of the supplementary agreement, requires the full commitment to its implementation. The leaders have tasked the intelligence chiefs to follow up on the implementation of this results of this supplementary agreement and to report regularly to the leaders, in order to take the measures the deem necessary to protect the security and stability of their countries. It has been agreed that implementing the aforementioned commitments pours in the unity of the Council states and their interests and the future of their peoples, and signals a new page that will be the strong base to advance the path of joint work and moving towards a strong Gulf entity.
2014 supplemental agreement
This a translation from a meeting of the foreign ministers following the initial agreement of the leaders in 2013.
It’s a detailed implementation mechanism for the three points that comprise the 2013 document ... This is a rough translation
1. Sets annual meetings for the foreign ministers for review
2. GCC heads of states take the necessary measures against other non-abiding states.
Required measures A. Concerning domestic affairs of the GCC:
1. The commitment of all media networks owned or financed — directly or indirectly — by a member state to not discuss topics harmful to the GCC states. A list of such media outlets would be prepared and updated periodically. 2. Each member state commits to not giving its citizenship to whoever is proven to have been involved in opposition activities against their governments. Each country will report the names of its citizens, involved in opposition, to the countries they reside in. This is in order to stop their activities and take the necessary measures against them. 3. Take all the necessary precautions that guarantee no interference in the internal affairs of other states such as: 1. No financial or media support by official or societal institutions, individual or activists. 2. No refuge or encouragement or support or making the country a platform for opposition. 3 preventing external groups, parties and organisations that target the GCC from finding a place inside GCC countries. 4. Prohibits financial or intangible support to external organisations hostile to the GCC Concerning foreign policy: Committing to collection discourse of the GCC and not to support entities that pose a risk to the GCC including:
1. No support to the Muslim Brotherhood, whether financially or through media.
2. Agreeing to expelling the non-citizen Muslim Brotherhood members, within the agreed time frame and coordinating the lists of these people
3. No support to outside groups that pose a threat to the security and stability of GCC whether in Yemen, Syria or any of the sites of sedition.
4. No support or offering refute to those who commit acts in opposition to any of the GCC states, whether they are current or former officials or others, and not facilitating a place for these people inside the country or allowing them to harm another GCC country.
5. Shutting down all academies and centres that train and rehabilitate GCC citizens to work against their own governments.
Concerning internal security of GCC:
Bilateral meetings between security officials to discuss the details of the security files.