The Emir of Qatar visiting Russia in his first visit in 7 years

Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will visit Russia on Thursday, his first visit to Moscow in seven years, during which he will discuss bilateral relations and regional and international developments of mutual interest with President Vladimir Putin.

The Emir of Qatar will arrive in Russia later today from the capital, Doha, on an official visit of an undisclosed duration, starting Thursday, according to the Qatar News Agency (QNA).

The Emir of Qatar is accompanied on his visit to Russia by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and an official delegation.

QNA reported that the Emir’s agenda includes “discussing bilateral relations between Russia and Qatar and ways to strengthen and develop them in various areas of bilateral cooperation, as well as discussing the most prominent issues and developments of common interest in the region”.

For his part, Majed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, considered Emir Tamim’s visit to Russia “a very important milestone in the course of bilateral relations between the two countries”.

He noted that this is the Emir of Qatar’s first visit to Russia since 2018, and coincides with rapid regional and international developments that call for close coordination between countries with political and economic weight.

In statements to QNA, he said that the visit comes within the framework of coordinating efforts on pivotal regional issues, including the war in the Gaza Strip and ways to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, in addition to discussing prospects for rebuilding Syria and enhancing stability in Lebanon.

Furthermore, the talks between the Russian and Qatari leaders will include “discussions of the situations in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Libya, all of which are priorities in Qatari foreign policy, as well as developments in Ukraine, where Qatar plays an active role in humanitarian mediation efforts,” Al Ansari said.

Al Ansari pointed out that Qatar’s role in the Ukraine issue is based on reuniting children affected by the war, in addition to ongoing communication with various parties to alleviate the suffering of civilians.