Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani on Thursday.
Al Thani is travelling to Moscow for an official visit, reportedly accompanied by Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani.
The parties reportedly plan to discuss bilateral cooperation, in particular in the economic and humanitarian spheres, as well as a number of international issues, including the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in the Middle East.
This is the fifth visit to Russia by al Thani as head of state.
Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Qatar were established on August 1, 1988. On December 26, 1991, Qatar officially recognized the Russian Federation as the legal successor to the USSR. Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (1995-2013; father of the current emir) visited Russia in December 2001 and November 2010.
In February 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Qatar - this was the first visit of a Russian head of state to this country. During the summit, Vladimir Putin met with Tamim bin Hamad al Thani and discussed issues of joint fight against terrorism, prospects for partnership in the oil and gas industry, and the situation in the Middle East.
Emir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, who ascended the throne in 2013, visited Russia in 2014, 2016, and twice in 2018. The leaders also met several times at international events, most recently in July 2024 at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, where the Emir of Qatar was invited as an honorary guest.
Then, Vladimir Putin and Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed bilateral relations. The Russian president also invited the Emir to visit Russia.
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