Photo: Izvestia
17 April 2025,
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in the Kremlin that Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is interested in developing relations with Moscow on the basis of mutual respect. The statement came amid Russia’s efforts to maintain influence in Syria after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and to ensure the continued use of two military bases in the region.
“Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Qatar a few days ago. We discussed the historical and strategic ties between Syria and Russia. He wants to build relations based on mutual respect,” the emir said.
Putin stressed the importance of stability in Syria, which has seen sectarian violence in recent weeks. “We want Syria to remain sovereign, independent and territorially integral. We are ready to discuss the possibilities of humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people,” he said, pointing to the political, security and economic challenges in the country.
The leaders also touched upon the situation in the Gaza Strip, where Qatar facilitated a three-stage ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. However, in March, Israel resumed its offensive, and negotiations to renew the ceasefire have not yet yielded results. “Israel is not complying with the agreement. Qatar will continue to mediate to end the suffering of the Palestinians,” Sheikh Tamim said. Putin, in turn, called the deaths of civilians in Palestine an “absolute tragedy” and noted Qatar’s efforts to resolve the conflict.
The parties also discussed the war in Ukraine. Qatar has already acted as a mediator, facilitating the return of children separated from their families due to the conflict. The two leaders expressed their readiness to continue dialogue on this issue.
Source: Reuters
