Putin and Qatar’s emir discuss gas, Strait of Hormuz and Gaza in Kremlin

On the sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Putin also met with the leaders of Iran and Mozambique.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Kremlin on October 27. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Moscow.

“Russia and Qatar are among the world’s largest producers and exporters of natural gas. A great deal depends on the effectiveness of our joint work and coordination,” Putin said, thanking the emir for his visit. He said that global energy market stability largely depends on this cooperation.

According to the Russian leader, trade between the two countries remains modest in absolute terms but has grown by 10 percent. Qatar’s investment agency acquired stakes in Rosneft and VTB, while Russian Culture Days were held in Doha in February. Putin also highlighted Qatar’s mediating role in crises in the Persian Gulf region and called the Islamabad memorandum signed in June with the mediation of Qatar and Pakistan a basis for talks on Iran.

Vladimir Putin and Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at one of their previous meetings in the Kremlin (archive)

Qatar’s emir described relations between the two countries as “strong, solid and historic.” He said tensions between the United States and Iran were negatively affecting the entire region, including the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and the energy sector. He added that Doha was counting on Russia to help resolve these crises, as well as the Palestinian issue and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

That same day, Putin held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Mozambican President Daniel Chapo. In his conversation with Pezeshkian, he said that Russian-Iranian trade had increased by 10.4 percent during the first eight months of the year and that construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant was continuing. Chapo thanked Russia for helping to address the aftermath of floods in Mozambique.

Putin and Qatar’s emir discuss gas, Strait of Hormuz and Gaza in Kremlin