Qatar and the United States signed a military agreement within executive arrangement framework between the defence ministries of the two countries. The agreement pertains to marine activities and port calls to Qatar.
The agreement was signed on behalf of Qatar by HE the Commander of the Amiri Naval Forces (Nautical) Major General Abdullah Hassan al-Sulaiti, and for the US by the Commander of US Naval Forces Central Command in the Middle East Vice-Admiral Samuel Paparo, in the presence of HE the Chief of Staff of the Qatar Armed Forces Lieutenant-General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanem. The signing ceremony was also attended by President of the International Military Co-operation Authority Brigadier General Abdulaziz Saleh al-Sulaiti, and Charge d’Affairs of the US embassy in Qatar Greta C Holtz, and a number of officers in the armed forces. On the sidelines of the signing ceremony, HE the Chief of Staff of the Qatar Armed Forces Lieutenant-General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanem met with Vice-Admiral Samuel Paparo. During the meeting, they reviewed the military co-operation relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them.