Qatar–Russia Relations
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Qatar–Russia relations () are the
bilateral Bilateral may refer to any concept including two sides, in particular: *Bilateria, bilateral animals *Bilateralism, the political and cultural relations between two states *Bilateral, occurring on both sides of an organism ( Anatomical terms of l ...
foreign relations Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...
between the two countries,
Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
and
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
.


Background


Soviet-era relations

Following
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
's lead, Qatar refused for many years to have
diplomatic relations Diplomacy is the communication by representatives of state, intergovernmental, or non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern Diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...
with the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. This changed in the summer of 1988, when diplomatic relations between the two states were established on 2 August. The Soviet Union opened its
embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a Sovereign state, state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase ...
in
Doha Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
on 12 November 1989, and Qatar opened its embassy in
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
on 14 November 1989.


Russian Federation relations


Diplomatic ties

On 26 December 1991, Qatar recognised the
Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
as the
successor state Succession of states is a concept in international relations regarding a successor state that has become a sovereign state over a territory (and populace) that was previously under the sovereignty of another state. The theory has its roots in 19th ...
to the Soviet Union, after the latter's dissolution. Russia has an embassy in Doha, and Qatar has an embassy in Moscow. The current ambassador of Russia to Qatar is . The current ambassador of Qatar to Russia is Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, who appointed his
Letters of Credence A letter of credence (, ) is a formal diplomatic letter that designates a diplomat as ambassador to another sovereign state. Commonly known as diplomatic credentials, the letter is addressed from one head of state to another, asking them to give ...
to
Russian President The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the Federal State Council and the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces. I ...
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
on 16 March 2007.


Political ties

Relations became strained after
Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev Zelimkhan Abdulmuslimovich Yandarbiyev (, romanized: ''Yandarbiev Abdulmusliman-khant Zelimxan''; , also spelled Yandarbin; 12 September 1952 – 13 February 2004) was a Chechen writer and politician who was the second president of the Chec ...
was assassinated in Qatar on 13 February 2004. On the third anniversary of Yandarbiyev's death,
Russian President The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the Federal State Council and the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces. I ...
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
traveled to Qatar on a
state visit A state visit is a formal visit by the head of state, head of a sovereign state, sovereign country (or Governor-general, representative of the head of a sovereign country) to another sovereign country, at the invitation of the head of state (or ...
, where he was received by
Emir of Qatar The Emir of the State of Qatar () is the monarch and head of state of the country. The emir is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and guarantor of the Constitution. The emir holds the most powerful position in the country, and has a ...
Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (; born 1 January 1952) is a member of Qatar's royal family, the House of Thani. He was the ruling Emir of Qatar from 1995 until 2013 when he abdicated the throne, handing power to his fourth son Tamim bin Hamad Al T ...
. On November 29, 2011, Russian Ambassador to Qatar, Vladimir Titorenko, was allegedly assaulted by Qatar airport security and customs officers when he refused to have his suitcase scanned at the airport. Relations again became strained on February 7, 2012, when reportedly, after a diplomat from Qatar warned Russia of losing the support of
Arab League The Arab League (, ' ), officially the League of Arab States (, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with seven members: Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, ...
about upcoming resolution on the Syrian uprising, which Russia and China later vetoed, the answer came harsh from Russian UN ambassador
Vitaly Churkin Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin ( rus, Виталий Иванович Чуркин, p=vʲɪˈtalʲɪj ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ ˈtɕurkʲɪn; 21 February 1952 – 20 February 2017) was a Russian diplomat. As a child actor, he starred in three films '' The Blu ...
who replied that ''If you talk to me like that, there will be no Qatar today'' and boasted about Russian military superiority over Qatar. Later, Russia denied all these accusations. On 13 October 2022, Qatari Emir
Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (; born 3 June 1980) is Emir of Qatar, reigning since 2013. Tamim is the fourth son of former emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, born to his second spouse, Moza bint Nasser, Moza bint Nassir. He became heir ...
met with Russian President
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana. At the time, Putin was a political pariah over the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
. Tamim praised Putin, saying he was "proud" of the relationship between Qatar and Russia. On 17 August 2024, ''The Washington Post'' reported, citing anonymous diplomatic sources, that Ukraine's incursion into the
Kursk Oblast Kursk Oblast (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Kursk. As of the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, Kursk Oblast had a pop ...
of Russia disrupted plans for indirect talks in
Doha Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
, Qatar to halt mutual strikes on energy infrastructure in Ukraine and
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
. Both Ukraine and Russia had reportedly planned to send their delegations to indirect talks mediated by Qatari officials, but Russian officials postponed the meeting in the wake of Ukraine's incursion. Some officials had hoped it could be the first step toward a more comprehensive peace deal.


Economic ties

In 2010, the Russian state-owned Yamal Reindeer Company began producing canned, halal reindeer meat for export to Qatar. Production commenced at the direction of the governor of the energy-rich
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (; ) also known as Yamalia () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia and an autonomous okrugs of Russia, autonomous okrug of Tyumen Oblast. Its administrative center is the types of inhabite ...
, who proposed it during a meeting with Qatari officials. During a visit to Doha on 12 February 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an agreement to establish the Russian-Qatari Business Council. As of 4 December 2018, the chairman of the council is Ahmet Palankoev, a Russian businessman.


Humanitarian ties

During the
Russo-Ukrainian war The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...
, Qatar mediated between Russia and Ukraine for the return of children to their parents in Ukraine. In October 2023 and December 2023, ten Ukrainian children were reunited with their families. In addition, 11 children arrived in Ukraine in February 2024. In March 2024, another group of Ukrainian children was flown from Russia to Ukraine.


References


External links

*
Documents on the Qatar–Russia relationship at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs


Diplomatic missions

*
Embassy of Russia in Doha
{{DEFAULTSORT:Qatar-Russia relations Bilateral relations of Russia
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...