Putin and Emir of Qatar hold phone talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, confirmed in a telephone conversation that the two countries are interested in closer coordination in the energy sector, in particular to ensure stability on the gas market, Kremlin press service following the conversation on Friday.

"[The two leaders] discussed current issues of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, including further implementation of joint projects in the investment and infrastructure areas. [The two leaders] confirmed mutual interest in continuing close coordination in the energy sector, including in order to ensure the necessary balance and stability on the global gas market," the statement says.

In October, President Vladimir Putin and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met on the sidelines of the Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Astana, Kazakhstan. Then, the Russian leader said would be glad to see the Emir visiting Russia. In turn, the Emir said that Qatar and Russia have every opportunity to substantially build up their trade. He also spotlighted the prospects for fostering bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, energy, agriculture and other areas.