Qatar’s Tamim tells Putin that Syria seeks stronger Moscow ties

Qatars Tamim tells Putin that Syria seeks stronger ties with Moscow — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (right) and Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, walk during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, April 17, 2025. Photo: Sputnik/Pool/via Reuters

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MOSCOW,— Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Thursday, where he relayed that Syria’s new president is interested in developing strong relations with Moscow.

During the meeting, Sheikh Tamim said Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, had recently visited Doha and emphasized the importance of Syria’s strategic relationship with Russia.

“We discussed Syria’s longstanding ties with your country,” Sheikh Tamim said. “President al-Sharaa is committed to building a relationship based on mutual respect.”

The Kremlin has been working to preserve its presence in Syria following the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad in December. Assad was overthrown by Islamist forces led by al-Sharaa, who now holds the presidency.

Putin described Syria’s ongoing instability, marked by sectarian tensions, as a matter of serious concern. “We want to see Syria remain an independent, sovereign and territorially whole state,” he said. “We are also prepared to look at ways to assist the Syrian population, including humanitarian support.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Moscow remains engaged with regional stakeholders across the Middle East to maintain its strategic interests in Syria.

The leaders also reviewed the situation in Gaza, where Qatar had facilitated a three-stage ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in January. That truce collapsed in March when Israeli forces resumed operations in the area.

“Qatar will continue its efforts to mediate and seek common ground to ease the suffering of Palestinians,” Sheikh Tamim said.

Putin acknowledged Qatar’s diplomatic role in the region. “We’re aware of your efforts in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian issue,” he told the emir. “Sadly, those initiatives have not taken hold, and civilian casualties continue to rise.”

Peskov added there was no extended discussion of the Ukraine conflict, although Putin did thank Qatar for assisting in the return of children separated during the war.

The two nations also signed a deal to increase contributions to their joint investment fund by 1 billion euros ($1.14 billion) each. Russian Direct Investment Fund chief Kirill Dmitriev noted Qatar’s investment presence in Russian infrastructure and said both sides were looking to expand into Middle Eastern markets together.

(With files from Reuters)