Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani assured Russia that Syria’s new leadership is committed to strengthening ties with Moscow
In a significant diplomatic exchange at the Kremlin, the Emir of Qatar – Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani assured the President of Russia – Vladimir Putin that Syria’s new leadership is committed to strengthening ties with Moscow.
The Qatari Emir recently hosted al-Sharaa in Doha for discussions on the future of Syria-Russia relations. The meeting between the Emir of Qatar and Putin comes as Russia seeks to preserve its strategic foothold in Syria following the ouster of Former President of Syria – Bashar al-Assad and a long-time ally of Russia and in December’24. Al-Assad was toppled by rebels led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has replaced him as the President.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani told Putin, “As for Syria, a few days ago President al-Sharaa was in Qatar, and we spoke with him about the historical and strategic relationship between Syria and Russia. He is keen on building a relationship between the two countries based on mutual respect.”
Putin said to the Emir of Qatar, “We would like to do everything to ensure that Syria, firstly, remains a sovereign, independent and territorially integral state, and we would like to discuss with you the possibility of providing assistance to the Syrian people, including humanitarian assistance. There are many problems there: political, security, and purely economic.”
The leaders also addressed the escalating crisis in Gaza, where Qatar played a key mediating role in brokering a three-phase ceasefire between Israel and Hamas earlier this year. With Israel resuming its offensive in March’25, efforts to re-establish calm have faltered.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani further said, “We reached an agreement regarding Gaza a few months back but Israel has not adhered to the agreement. Qatar, in its role as a mediator, will strive to bridge differing perspectives in an effort to reach an agreement to end the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
“We know that Qatar is making very serious efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unfortunately, the initiatives put forward, including by you, have not been implemented – peaceful people continue to die in Palestine, which is an absolute tragedy of today,” added Putin.
In addition to regional issues, the two leaders discussed efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Qatar has previously mediated in humanitarian aspects of the conflict, including reuniting children separated from their families. While Qatar’s efforts have gained international recognition, a broader diplomatic resolution remains elusive.
