Doha, 26 June 2023 (TDI): Qatari Emir Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in a telephone conversation today. They reviewed their bilateral relations along with Russian developments.
The Russian President also extended his gratitude for the 10th anniversary of Thani’s enthronement as well as the upcoming occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.
The two sides encouraged cooperative ties while considering the outcome of the visit of Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, to Russia last week.
Moreover, both sides expressed keen interest in continuing bilateral relations based on mutual interests.
Wagner Group’s Mutiny in Russia
During the discussions regarding the recent outbreak of the crisis in Russia on June 24, the Emir extended his support to the President regarding his actions against the backdrop of armed uprisings by the Wagner group.
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It surprised the world when Wagner Company seized military headquarters in Russia’s Southern region after an alleged attack on its contractors by the Russian military.
It was followed by the President’s address to his nation, where he regarded the Company’s actions as treason, pledging punishment.
However, the issue was later resolved with the intervention of Belarus as a mediator.
Russia-Qatar Bilateral Ties
Qatar is one of those states that openly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while strongly defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. In addition, it co-sponsored the UNSC resolution against Russia in 2022.
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Even though the two countries maintain relations when it comes to things that pertain to common interests, their interests are divergent when it comes to several Middle East conflicts, especially that of Libya and Syria.
The two states do not have direct hostility towards each other. However, differing over several matters, and they maintain cooperative relations in other fields despite having opposite stances on the Ukraine issue.
The Kremlin’s telephonic conversation with Doha is a clear manifestation of the readiness of both states to bolster ties, and it presents an amazing example to the world that the states can display their contradicting stances on the international platform without deteriorating their bilateral partnership.
