The Diplomat
On June 9, the Agreement between Spain and Qatar on the Exchange and Mutual Protection of Classified Information entered into force. This legal instrument aims to promote the development of the Spanish defense industry and bilateral trade in this sector.
The agreement, signed in Madrid and Doha on March 30, 2021, establishes that both parties will take appropriate measures to ensure the protection of classified information generated or exchanged between Spain and Qatar or by individuals or legal entities under the jurisdiction of either country.
One of the objectives of the text is to provide an essential legal instrument that promotes the development of the Spanish defense industry and bilateral trade in this sector.
In the field of the defense and arms industry, manufacturing, assembly, or supply contracts often involve the sharing of confidential devices or procedures, making it necessary to establish standards under which states can safely share such classified information.
This agreement, as the Government reported at the time, “will contribute to the preservation of Spain’s interests in its international relations, as these sometimes require the exchange of information that, because it affects security or national interests, must be classified and subject to special processes of use and handling to preserve that integrity.”
