It is accordingly understood between the French and British governments:
That France and great Britain are prepared to recognize and protect an independent Arab states or a
confederation of Arab states (a) and (b) marked on the annexed map, under the suzerainty of an
Arab chief. That in area (a) France, and in area (b) great Britain, shall have priority of right of
enterprise and local loans. That in area (a) France, and in area (b) Great Britain, shall alone supply
advisers or foreign functionaries at the request of the Arab state or confederation of Arab states.
That in the blue area France, and in the red area great Britain, shall be allowed to establish such
direct or indirect administration or control as they desire and as they may think fit to arrange with the
Arab state or confederation of Arab states.
That in the brown area there shall be established an international administration, the form of which is
to be decided upon after consultation with Russia, and subsequently in consultation with the other
allies, and the representatives of the sheriff of mecca.
That great Britain be accorded (1) the ports of Haifa and acre, (2) guarantee of a given supply of
water from the Tigres and Euphrates in area (a) for area (b). His majesty's government, on their part,
undertake that they will at no time enter into negotiations for the cession of Cyprus to any third
power without the previous consent of the French government.
That Alexandretta shall be a free port as regards the trade of the British empire, and that there shall
be no discrimination in port charges or facilities as regards British shipping and British goods; that
there shall be freedom of transit for British goods through Alexandretta and by railway through the
blue area, or (b) area, or area (a); and there shall be no discrimination, direct or indirect, against
British goods on any railway or against British goods or ships at any port serving the areas mentioned.
That Haifa shall be a free port as regards the trade of France, her dominions and protectorates, and
there shall be no discrimination in port charges or facilities as regards French shipping and French
goods. There shall be freedom of transit for French goods through Haifa and by the British railway
through the brown area, whether those goods are intended for or originate in the blue area, area (a),
or area (b), and there shall be no discrimination, direct or indirect, against French goods on any
railway, or against French goods or ships at any port serving the areas mentioned.
That in area (a) the Baghdad railway shall not be extended southwards beyond Mosul, and in area (b)
northwards beyond Samarra, until a railway connecting Baghdad and Aleppo via the Euphrates valley
has been completed, and then only with the concurrence of the two governments.
That great Britain has the right to build, administer, and be sole owner of a railway connecting Haifa
with area (b), and shall have a perpetual right to transport troops along such a line at all times. It is to
be understood by both governments that this railway is to facilitate the connection of Baghdad with
Haifa by rail, and it is further understood that, if the engineering difficulties and expense entailed by
keeping this connecting line in the brown area only make the project unfeasible, that the French
government shall be prepared to consider that the line in question may also traverse the Polgon
Banias Keis Marib Salkhad tell Otsda Mesmie before reaching area (b).
For a period of twenty years the existing Turkish customs tariff shall remain in force throughout the
whole of the blue and red areas, as well as in areas (a) and (b), and no increase in the rates of duty or
conversions from ad valorem to specific rates shall be made except by agreement between the two
powers.
There shall be no interior customs barriers between any of the above mentioned areas. The customs
duties leviable on goods destined for the interior shall be collected at the port of entry and handed
over to the administration of the area of destination.
It shall be agreed that the French government will at no time enter into any negotiations for the
cession of their rights and will not cede such rights in the blue area to any third power, except the
Arab state or confederation of Arab states, without the previous agreement of his majesty's
government, who, on their part, will give a similar undertaking to the French government regarding
the red area.
The British and French government, as the protectors of the Arab state, shall agree that they will not
themselves acquire and will not consent to a third power acquiring territorial possessions in the
Arabian peninsula, nor consent to a third power installing a naval base either on the east coast, or on
the islands, of the red sea. This, however, shall not prevent such adjustment of the Aden frontier as
may be necessary in consequence of recent Turkish aggression.
The negotiations with the Arabs as to the boundaries of the Arab states shall be continued through
the same channel as heretofore on behalf of the two powers.
It is agreed that measures to control the importation of arms into the Arab territories will be
considered by the two governments.
I have further the honor to state that, in order to make the agreement complete, his majesty's
government are proposing to the Russian government to exchange notes analogous to those
exchanged by the latter and your excellency's government on the 26th April last. Copies of these
notes will be communicated to your excellency as soon as exchanged.I would also venture to remind
your excellency that the conclusion of the present agreement raises, for practical consideration, the
question of claims of Italy to a share in any partition or rearrangement of turkey in Asia, as
formulated in article 9 of the agreement of the 26th April, 1915, between Italy and the allies.
His majesty's government further consider that the Japanese government should be informed of the
arrangements now concluded.
That France and great Britain are prepared to recognize and protect an independent Arab states or a
confederation of Arab states (a) and (b) marked on the annexed map, under the suzerainty of an
Arab chief. That in area (a) France, and in area (b) great Britain, shall have priority of right of
enterprise and local loans. That in area (a) France, and in area (b) Great Britain, shall alone supply
advisers or foreign functionaries at the request of the Arab state or confederation of Arab states.
That in the blue area France, and in the red area great Britain, shall be allowed to establish such
direct or indirect administration or control as they desire and as they may think fit to arrange with the
Arab state or confederation of Arab states.
That in the brown area there shall be established an international administration, the form of which is
to be decided upon after consultation with Russia, and subsequently in consultation with the other
allies, and the representatives of the sheriff of mecca.
That great Britain be accorded (1) the ports of Haifa and acre, (2) guarantee of a given supply of
water from the Tigres and Euphrates in area (a) for area (b). His majesty's government, on their part,
undertake that they will at no time enter into negotiations for the cession of Cyprus to any third
power without the previous consent of the French government.
That Alexandretta shall be a free port as regards the trade of the British empire, and that there shall
be no discrimination in port charges or facilities as regards British shipping and British goods; that
there shall be freedom of transit for British goods through Alexandretta and by railway through the
blue area, or (b) area, or area (a); and there shall be no discrimination, direct or indirect, against
British goods on any railway or against British goods or ships at any port serving the areas mentioned.
That Haifa shall be a free port as regards the trade of France, her dominions and protectorates, and
there shall be no discrimination in port charges or facilities as regards French shipping and French
goods. There shall be freedom of transit for French goods through Haifa and by the British railway
through the brown area, whether those goods are intended for or originate in the blue area, area (a),
or area (b), and there shall be no discrimination, direct or indirect, against French goods on any
railway, or against French goods or ships at any port serving the areas mentioned.
That in area (a) the Baghdad railway shall not be extended southwards beyond Mosul, and in area (b)
northwards beyond Samarra, until a railway connecting Baghdad and Aleppo via the Euphrates valley
has been completed, and then only with the concurrence of the two governments.
That great Britain has the right to build, administer, and be sole owner of a railway connecting Haifa
with area (b), and shall have a perpetual right to transport troops along such a line at all times. It is to
be understood by both governments that this railway is to facilitate the connection of Baghdad with
Haifa by rail, and it is further understood that, if the engineering difficulties and expense entailed by
keeping this connecting line in the brown area only make the project unfeasible, that the French
government shall be prepared to consider that the line in question may also traverse the Polgon
Banias Keis Marib Salkhad tell Otsda Mesmie before reaching area (b).
For a period of twenty years the existing Turkish customs tariff shall remain in force throughout the
whole of the blue and red areas, as well as in areas (a) and (b), and no increase in the rates of duty or
conversions from ad valorem to specific rates shall be made except by agreement between the two
powers.
There shall be no interior customs barriers between any of the above mentioned areas. The customs
duties leviable on goods destined for the interior shall be collected at the port of entry and handed
over to the administration of the area of destination.
It shall be agreed that the French government will at no time enter into any negotiations for the
cession of their rights and will not cede such rights in the blue area to any third power, except the
Arab state or confederation of Arab states, without the previous agreement of his majesty's
government, who, on their part, will give a similar undertaking to the French government regarding
the red area.
The British and French government, as the protectors of the Arab state, shall agree that they will not
themselves acquire and will not consent to a third power acquiring territorial possessions in the
Arabian peninsula, nor consent to a third power installing a naval base either on the east coast, or on
the islands, of the red sea. This, however, shall not prevent such adjustment of the Aden frontier as
may be necessary in consequence of recent Turkish aggression.
The negotiations with the Arabs as to the boundaries of the Arab states shall be continued through
the same channel as heretofore on behalf of the two powers.
It is agreed that measures to control the importation of arms into the Arab territories will be
considered by the two governments.
I have further the honor to state that, in order to make the agreement complete, his majesty's
government are proposing to the Russian government to exchange notes analogous to those
exchanged by the latter and your excellency's government on the 26th April last. Copies of these
notes will be communicated to your excellency as soon as exchanged.I would also venture to remind
your excellency that the conclusion of the present agreement raises, for practical consideration, the
question of claims of Italy to a share in any partition or rearrangement of turkey in Asia, as
formulated in article 9 of the agreement of the 26th April, 1915, between Italy and the allies.
His majesty's government further consider that the Japanese government should be informed of the
arrangements now concluded.
The Balfour Declaration
Foreign Office
November 2nd, 1917
Dear Lord Rothschild,
I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy
with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.
"His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and
will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be
done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and
political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."
I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.
Yours sincerely,
Arthur James Balfour
Foreign Office
November 2nd, 1917
Dear Lord Rothschild,
I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy
with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.
"His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and
will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be
done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and
political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."
I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.
Yours sincerely,
Arthur James Balfour
| The Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916: |
| The Balfour Declaration |
Sykes Picot Proposal