RUSSIA-QATAR RELATIONS

The Soviet Union and Qatar established diplomatic relations on August 1, 1988. In November 1989, they opened their respective embassies in Moscow and Doha.

In February 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Qatar. The previous Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, made two official visits to Russia − in December 2001 and November 2010. The former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber bin Mohammed bin Thani Al Thani, visited Russia in 2007 and 2010.    

On February 5, 2014, in Sochi, Vladimir Putin met with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the first time.

On January 17−19, 2016, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani paid an official visit to Moscow and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 18. He later met with Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation’s Federal Assembly and Sergey Naryshkin, Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation’s Federal Assembly.

Political dialogue between Russia and Qatar virtually came to a halt after bilateral relations significantly cooled in late 2011 as a result of a major provocation by against the Russian Ambassador to Qatar staged by Qatari secret services. On November 29, 2011, customs service and police officers at Doha Airport tried to forcibly open a diplomatic pouch that the Ambassador was carrying from Amman. On November 30, the Foreign Ministry sent a note of protest to the Embassy of Qatar in Moscow and demanded apologies and punishment for the culprits. On December 4, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim.. On December 5, it was officially announced that the level of diplomatic relations between Russia and Qatar would be lowered.

Bilateral relations thawed somewhat after there was a generational change in Qatar’s top leadership. In June 2013, Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani replaced his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, as Emir of Qatar.

On October 30, 2013, Ali Fahad Al Hajri, the Qatari Foreign Minister’s Assistant for Foreign Relations, travelled to Moscow on a working visit and held talks with Special Presidential Representativ and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

On November 22, 2013, the President of the Russian Federation signed an executive order appointing a new Russian Ambassador to Qatar.

On May 6, 2014, Special Presidential Representative and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held the second round of consultations at Qatar’s Foreign Ministry in Doha. He also met with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Interior Minister Abdullah Al Thani, and Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah.

In December 2014, several Russian officials travelled to Doha: Deputy Interior Minister Viktor Kiryanov, Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov, Minister of Energy Alexander Novak and Viktor Zubkov, Special Presidential Representative for Cooperation with the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and Chairman of the Gazprom Board of Directors.

On June 5, 2015, Moscow hosted consultations between Mikhail Bogdanov and Qatar’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamad Al Rumeihi.

On August 2−3, 2015, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov paid a working visit to Qatar. He was received by Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and held talks with Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah.

On December 25, 2015, Moscow hosted talks between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khalid Al Attiyah who was on a working visit to Russia.

On April 3−4, 2016, Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov paid a working visit to Doha. He was received by Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani. Mr Bogdanov held talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for the Council of Ministers Affairs Ahmad bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Khalid Al Attiyah. He also held consultations with Qatar’s Deputy Foreign Minister Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi.

On May 4−6, 2016, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Thani paid a working visit to Sochi. He held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

On May 25−26, 2016, Mohammed Al Thani took part in the fourth ministerial meeting as part of the strategic dialogue between Russia and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

On August 17, 2016, Doha hosted meetings between Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Soltan Al-Muraikhi and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Khalid Al Attiyah.

On September 5−8, 2016, Qatar’s Minister of State for Defence Affairs Khalid bin Al Attiyah visited Moscow and attended the ARMY-2016 International Military-Technical Forum.

On March 29, 2017, Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met with Al Thani in Jordan on the sidelines of an Arab League summit.

On April 15, 2017, Moscow hosted talks between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Mohammed Al Thani, who was on a working visit to Russia.

On June 10, 2017, Moscow hosted another round of talks between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Mohammed Al Thani against the backdrop of the crisis in relations between Qatar and other Arab states.

On August 20−23, 2017, Qatar’s Minister of State for Defence Affairs Khalid Al Attiyah visited Moscow and attended the ARMY-2017 International Military-Technical Forum. During this trip, he held talks with Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu on the sidelines of the Forum.

On August 30, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov paid a working visit to Qatar during his regional tour. He was received by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, held talks with Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Thani and met with Qatar’s Minister of State for Defence Affairs Khalid Al Attiyah.

Trade and economic cooperation: According to the Russian Federal Customs Service, Russia-Qatar trade almost doubled in late 2016 on 2015 and reached $58.94 billion; trade in 2015 stood at $30.6 billion. Russian exports and imports totaled $24.4 billion and $34.5 billion, respectively.

In January − June 2017, bilateral trade totaled $23.1 billion, one-third less than in the same period of 2016.

The Russia-Qatar Joint Commission for Trade, Economic and Technological Cooperation was established in 2010.

Minister of Energy Alexander Novak chairs the Commission’s Russian section, with Minister of Energy and Industry Mohammed Saleh Al Sada chairing its Qatari section.

On March 3−4, 2015, Doha hosted the Commission’s first meeting. Commission members held their second meeting in Moscow June 2−3, 2016. Doha hosted the Commission’s third meeting on April 24−25, 2017. Mr Novak met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Abdullah Al Thani on the meeting’s sidelines.

In February 2007, Doha hosted the first meeting of the Russia-Qatar Business Council. In July 2017, AKROPOL Group CEO Akhmed Palankoyev was elected its chairman.

In May 2014, Kirill Dmitriyev, Director General of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said an agreement had been signed with Qatar’s Sovereign Wealth Fund whose managers were planning to allocate $2 billion for joint investment projects with the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

On April 7−8, 2015, Sheikh Abdulla Al Thani, Executive Director of the Qatar Investment Authority, visited Russia.

In December 2016, both sides finalised a privatisation deal for the sale of a 19.5 per cent Rosneft stake. The Qatar Investment Authority and Switzerland’s trading company Glencore International AG established a consortium that joined the company’s shareholders.

In September 2017, the consortium announced the sale of most of its stake (14.16 per cent) to Chinese conglomerate CEFC (Huaxing). The Qatar Investment Authority and Glencore International AG retained their respective 4.7 and 0.5 percent stakes in Rosneft.

Russia and Qatar cooperate closely in the energy sector. In February 2013, Viktor Zubkov visited Qatar and took part in the opening ceremony for Gazprom’s regional office there. The office maintains contacts with Qatar Petroleum, Qatargas, Rasgas and the Gas Refining Research Centre in an effort to select new cooperation venues.

On February 16, 2016, Doha hosted a ministerial meeting involving Minister of Energy Alexander Novak and representatives of three OPEC countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela. The sides discussed the situation on the global hydrocarbons market.

On April 17, 2016, Doha hosted an expanded ministerial meeting of leading global oil producers that involved Alexander Novak.

On November 17−18, 2016, Alexander Novak attended the 18th ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum.

The countries’ parliaments maintain contacts. On July 7, 2014, members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federal Assembly’s Federation Council decided to establish a group for cooperation between the Federation Council and Qatar’s Consultative Assembly.

On November 28−29, 2015, Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federal Assembly’s Federation Council Ilyas Umakhanov paid a working visit to Doha.

Russia and Qatar continue to expand their inter-regional cooperation. On December 7−8, 2015, the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov visited Qatar.

On November 30, 2016, Doha hosted the Moscow – City for Business investment conference with the support of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event involved over 50 Qatari companies, banks and investment funds. Moscow Government Minister and Head of the Department for Foreign Economic Activity and International Relations Sergey Cheryomin headed the Russian delegation.

On March 19−22, 2016, a delegation of the Russian Council of Muftis and the Muslim Spiritual Board of Russia headed by Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin visited Doha.

On April 8−9, 2016, Doha hosted the tenth regional conference of Russian compatriots living in African and Middle East countries.

On November 21−23, 2016, the Emir’s Culture Advisor and former Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Hamad Al-Kawari visited Moscow as Qatari candidate for the position of UNESCO Director General.

In June 2017, the Qatari Interior Ministry’s Immigration Department listed the Russian Federation among countries whose citizens can obtain tourist visas at Doha’s Hamad International Airport after meeting a number of preconditions.

The bilateral legal framework consists of inter-governmental agreements: on economic, trade and technological cooperation (1990), on direct flights/scheduled services (1998), on military cooperation (1999), on preventing dual taxation (1998), on mutual promotion and protection of investment (2007), on visa-free trips of holders of diplomatic passports, and on cultural cooperation (2016).

The countries have also signed a number of other intergovernmental agreements: on cooperation in the area of physical fitness and sport (1997), on cooperation in the area of youth affairs (1997), on cooperation between national chambers of commerce and industry (2001), on information exchanges between ITAR-TASS and the Qatar News Agency (1999), on establishing the Russia-Qatar Business Council (2007), on establishing the Joint Russian-Qatari Commission on Cooperation in the Area of Gas and Energy (2010) and memorandums of understanding and of cooperation between national prosecutor-generals’ offices (2010).

Russia and Qatar continue to expand relations in science and culture. On March 19, 2012, an exhibition titled Gifts of the Sultans: The Art of Presenting Gifts at Islamic Rulers’ Courts opened at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. Most exhibits were provided by the two largest Russian museums: the Museums of the Moscow Kremlin and the State Hermitage. The Russian National Library also played an active part in organising the event.

The countries maintain cooperation in the area of sport. On April 11−17, 2012, a delegation of Qatar’s National Olympic Committee headed by the then Crown Prince, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, attended the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees and the 2nd International Sport Forum that were held in Moscow.

Organising committees of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in in Qatar have established a working relationship.

STATE OF QATAR

Qatar is an Arab state located in the eastern section of the Arabian Peninsula and on the Persian Gulf coast. Qatar borders Saudi Arabia to the south and the Persian Gulf elsewhere. It has a maritime boundary with Bahrain in the northwest and with the United Arab Emirates in the southeast. The country’s coast is 563 kilometres long.

Qatar, including its islands, has an area of 11,437 square kilometres. The country is divided into seven municipalities.

Qatar has a subtropical arid climate. Average temperatures range between plus 55 degrees Celsius in summer and plus 16 degrees in winter.

Population: 2.6 million. Arabs account for 40 percent of the population, with Qataris making up 12 percent (about 313,000). The rest are Qatari subjects from Egypt, Syria, Sudan, Lebanon and Jordan, as well as 10 percent of Iranian-born citizens. Migrant workers from India, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines also live in the country.

Official language: Arabic, English is also widely used.

Official religion: Sunni Islam.

Capital: Doha where about 85 percent of the country’s population live. Other major cities include Al Rayyan, Al Shamal, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Mesaid and others.

Currency: Qatari riyal (100 dirhams) is pegged against the US dollar at 1 USD = 3.64 riyals.

History: Qatar was first mentioned in the second century BC. In the 7th century AD, local tribes converted to Islam and joined the Arab Caliphate. Later, Qatar was ruled by Portugal, Persia and Turkey. In 1756, the country was captured by the Utub tribe of Al Khalifa that also subjugated Bahrain in 1783. Sheikh Mohammed from the Thani clan later seized power and founded the current ruling dynasty. From 1871 to 1913, Qatar was formally under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. In 1916, the country became a British protectorate.

Qatar declared independence on September 3, 1971.  

National holiday: December 18. On that day in 1878, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, the founder of modern Qatar, assumed power.

Political system: Qatar is an absolute monarchy. Since June 25, 2013, all power in the country has been held by Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Emir also heads the Defence Committee and serves as the Commander-in-Chief. The head of state also exercises legislative and executive powers.

The Government/Council of Ministers is the main executive body. Members of the current Government were appointed in June 2013. The Government was partially reorganised on January 27, 2016. Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister of Qatar, also acts as Interior Minister. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was appointed Foreign Minister in January 2016.

Established in 1972, the unicameral Consultative Assembly, the quasi-parliament of Qatar, has 35 members who are appointed by the Emir. Its decisions amount to recommendations. The current Chairman is Mohamed bin Mubarak al-Kholaifi, elected by appointed members in 1995.

In 2003, the people of Qatar approved a new draft constitution in a nationwide referendum. This constitution replaced an interim constitution, effective since 1970, and entered into force in 2005. According to its provisions, Sharia is the main source of legislation.

Judicial system: In 2004, the country’s secular and Sharia courts were merged into one single judicial system that now consists of first-instance courts, the Court of Appeals and the Cassation Court. The Supreme Constitutional Court is the main judicial body. The country has its own Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Proceedings, as well as the Code for Civil and Commercial Cases.

Qatar retains a clan/tribal system. The ruling Al Thani clan has over 4,000 members. The 12-member Ruling Family Council was established in 2000. Under the constitution, members of the ruling Al Thani tribe can inherit power. Other influential families are represented in the national leadership and major businesses.

Domestic policy: The domestic political situation remains stable. The country’s socio-political life is strictly regulated and political parties are banned. National authorities focus on maintaining law and order and on preventing crime and anti-state activity, including terrorism.

Economy: In 2016, the country’s GDP grew by 3.4 percent and reached $235 billion, with inflation at 3.1 percent.

The oil and gas sector is the bedrock of the economy, accounting for 47 percent of the GDP and for over 85 percent of national exports. Qatar has the third-largest natural gas reserves in the world (24.7 trillion cubic metres or about 15 percent of global reserves). In 2016, the country exported about 76 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Asia Pacific region, including Japan, South Korea, India, China and Singapore, receive over 70 percent of the total LNG amount.

Qatar’s crude oil reserves are estimated at 15 billion barrels. In 2016, the county cut daily oil output from 700,000 barrels to 620,000 barrels under an OPEC decision.

The country is implementing vigorous economic diversification projects, in part due to fuel and energy price volatility. The gas and petrochemical industries and the construction business continue to develop as well as production of construction materials, cement and fertiliser. Qatar is a major global exporter of helium.

In 2016, the country received foreign investment worth about $30 billion. The main investors are the United States (over 40 percent), France, Belgium, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

Capital export is expanding rapidly. The Qatar Investment Authority, the main investor, finances numerous construction, energy, banking and industrial projects elsewhere.

The public sector controls between 40 and100 percent of industry, infrastructure and the social sector.

Foreign trade: Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, the United States, Italy, Germany, China, Pakistan and the United Kingdom are Qatar’s main trade partners, followed by the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Arabian sub-region.

In 2016, Qatar’s exports decreased by about 3 percent on 2016 and amounted to $128 billion. Imports decreased by 6.1 percent and stood at about $35.7 billion.

The country imports machinery, equipment and vehicles (over 50 percent), metals, timber, foods and consumer goods.

Agriculture: Qatar has an underdeveloped agriculture sector, with farmlands accounting for 0.27 percent of its territory. At the same time, the country uses its own fish and seafood resources on a large scale.

Transport and communications: Opened in 2014, the Hamad International Airport was rated the best Middle East airport in 2015.

Qatar has about 2,000 kilometres of paved roads. In the south, its roads link up with those of Saudi Arabia. Its pipelines are 2,400 kilometres long. Qatar operates 72 Q-Max and Q-Flex LNG tankers. The Doha, Umm Said and Ras Laffan seaports continue to expand their infrastructure.

The national airline Qatar Airways operates 14 Moscow-Doha flights weekly.

Qatar ranks among countries with well-developed communications systems. In early 2017, the country had 430,000 landline telephones, 3.8 million active mobile phone numbers and about 2.6 million registered internet users. Qatar’s own satellite cluster makes it possible to receive foreign radio and television broadcasts. The country has an automatic international telex system and continues to expand its fibre-optic data transmission system.

Social sector: The World Bank estimates the country’s per capita GDP at $137,000 in terms of purchasing power parity. Average life expectancy is 75 years, and the literacy rate is 97.4 percent.

The state provides virtually free education, healthcare and utility services to its citizens at every level.

It also devotes considerable attention to developing science and culture. The state-owned Qatar Foundation, established by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, and government agencies annually finance research projects, with a major focus on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, water desalination and communications. The Foundation prioritises the development of Education City, a multirole research and educational facility on the western outskirts of Doha.

Qatar has several museums, with the Museum of Islamic Art and the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum being the most famous. The Qatar Museums Authority maintains ties with the world’s leading museums.

The education system prioritises Western standards and is regulated by the Supreme Education Council. Educational institutions include Qatar University, Aspire Academy that identifies and supports the best male athletes in Qatar, as well as seven American, one British, one French and several other institutes, research and development centres and discussion clubs in Doha’s Education City.

Qatar has an advanced healthcare system with seven state-owned hospitals and 21 outpatient clinics. The state-controlled healthcare institution Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) manages them. The country also has private hospitals and numerous specialised clinics. Foreigners account for 95 percent of Qatar’s medical personnel.

Qatar devotes considerable attention to promoting sport, with the National Olympic Committee overseeing all the main sport-related issues. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is its Chairman. The Committee includes 26 sport federations and prioritises the most popular and entertaining sports, including football, tennis, athletics, weightlifting, boxing, motorcycle racing and fencing. International competitions are held on a regular basis. In November 2016, Doha hosted a friendly match between the national football teams of Russia and Qatar. In 2010, Qatar won the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Media: The country has seven newspapers, including four Arabic-language newspapers (Al Watan, Al Rayah, Al Sharq and Al Arab) and three English-language newspapers (Peninsula, Qatar Tribune and The Gulf Times), as well as numerous magazines. There are three television channels. The Qatar News Agency has been operating since 1985.

Foreign policy: Qatar conducts a proactive and pragmatic foreign policy. It is a member of the UN, the Arab League, the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Group of 77 and other international organisations. The country is actively involved in promoting dialogue between civilisations.

Close cooperation with the United States is an important aspect of Qatar’s diplomacy. The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and its Al Udeid Air Base are located in the country. Qatar maintains military and defence industry cooperation with the United Kingdom and France, as well as other Western countries.

Qatar pays substantial attention to its relations with partners in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, as well as its multifaceted ties with Turkey that were recently elevated to the level of strategic partnership. Qatar accommodates a Turkish military base operating under a 2014 agreement between Doha and Ankara.

Qatar consistently works to broaden the geographical reach of its foreign ties, including with Asian, African and Latin American states.

Relying on its considerable financial resources, Doha is deeply involved in developments in the Middle East and North Africa, including the Syrian conflict.

Regarding the Middle East peace process, Qatar’s position is that the Palestinian nation has a right to establish its own independent, sovereign state whose territorial integrity is respected, within the 1967 boundaries and with its capital in East Jerusalem. Qatar also strives to play an active part in efforts to achieve intra-Palestinian reconciliation, while prioritising assistance to Hamas.

Mounting disputes between Doha and a number of other Arab capitals triggered a full-scale diplomatic crisis in June 2017. On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt officially severed diplomatic relations with Qatar and accused it of supporting terrorist and extremist organisations, interfering in the domestic affairs of other states and trying to destabilise the region.

The staff of Qatar’s diplomatic missions in these countries were instructed to return home within 48 hours, while other Qatari subjects were expected to return within 14 days. At the same time, authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt decided to halt air, sea and ground traffic with Doha. The above-mentioned Arab monarchies also forbade their subjects and citizens to visit Qatar or travel via its territory.

Bilateral relations: The Soviet Union and Qatar established diplomatic relations on August 1, 1988. In November 1989, they opened their respective embassies in Moscow and Doha. On December 6, 1991, Qatar officially recognised Russia and other CIS countries.

In February 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Qatar. The previous Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, paid two official visits to Russia in December 2001 and November 2010.  

In 2014, the incumbent Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, visited Sochi and met with Vladimir Putin there. On January 17−19, 2016, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani paid an official visit to Moscow.