Vladimir Putin discussed energy issues, the conflict in Syria and Ukraine with the Prime Minister of Qatar

On June 22, President Vladimir Putin received the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, in Moscow. According to the Kremlin’s website, they discussed the development of bilateral relations in the areas of trade, food security and energy, as well as the latest developments in the Ukrainian crisis. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, chairman of the Russian-Qatari intergovernmental commission, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, and chairman of the board of Rosneft Igor Sechin also participated in the talks on the Russian side, according to the Kremlin’s official website.

Putin thanked Al-Thani for the participation of the Qatari delegation in the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, which was held from June 14 to 17. “At present, bilateral trade figures are relatively small in absolute terms, but there is a solid, yet unexploited growth potential. We expect that the intergovernmental commission will develop effective proposals for its implementation,” the President said. The Prime Minister of Qatar thanked for the reception and presented the President with a message from the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Prior to the Arab official’s trip to Russia, the Qatari News Agency (QNA) reported that during the talks, Mohammed Al-Thani would emphasize Doha’s position on the Ukrainian crisis, which is to support all international efforts to resolve it through peaceful dialogue and diplomatic means.