Russia, Qatar say committed to boosting trade, economic ties

Russia and Qatar say they are committed to boosting trade ties at a time when Doha is facing an economic blockade by Saudi Arabia and some of its regional allies.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a "lengthy" meeting in the Qatari capital, Doha, with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Wednesday.

"We are committed to bolstering trade and economic ties," media outlets quoted Lavrov as saying.

The Russian foreign minister also said Moscow "attached great importance" to economic cooperation, including in the energy sector, between the two countries.

Lavrov earlier met with Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates cut their diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing Doha of sponsoring terrorism and destabilizing the region. The Saudi-led bloc has also imposed sanctions against the country, including restrictions on Qatari aircraft using their airspace.

Doha rejects the accusation, saying it is an attack on Qatar's sovereignty.

Sheikh Mohammed accused the regime in Riyadh and its regional allies of ignoring "on at least 12 different occasions" calls by Qatar for talks on resolving the diplomatic impasse.

"Now we have reached 90 days of the crisis, we are still in the same position," the Qatari foreign minister said, adding, "We haven't seen any change or development in reaching the end of the crisis."

Lavrov, who has also visited Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates as part of his Middle East tour, said the disputing countries should work with regional mediator Kuwait to resolve the crisis.

"We are convinced that there's a need to seek a solution by searching for mutually beneficial approaches through dialect," said the Russian foreign minister. "It's in our interests for the GCC to be united and strong," he added, referring to the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council.

Mutlaq Majed al-Qahtani, the Qatari foreign minister’s special envoy for counterterrorism and mediation, earlier said the Saudi-led quartet of boycotters had failed to bring Qatar to its knees. He said Riyadh’s "smear campaign" against Doha was only reminiscent of Saudi Arabia's own ideological support for the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

SS