On December 25, 2015, Moscow hosted talks between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khalid Al Attiyah who was on a working visit to Russia. He was received by Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and held talks with Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah. On August 2−3, 2015, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov paid a working visit to Qatar. On June 5, 2015, Moscow hosted consultations between Mikhail Bogdanov and Qatar’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamad Al Rumeihi. In December 2014, several Russian officials travelled to Doha: Deputy Interior Minister Viktor Kiryanov, Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov, Minister of Energy Alexander Novak and Viktor Zubkov, Special Presidential Representative for Cooperation with the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and Chairman of the Gazprom Board of Directors. He also met with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Interior Minister Abdullah Al Thani , and Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah. On May 6, 2014, Special Presidential Representative and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held the second round of consultations at Qatar’s Foreign Ministry in Doha. On November 22, 2013, the President of the Russian Federation signed an executive order appointing a new Russian Ambassador to Qatar. On October 30, 2013, Ali Fahad Al Hajri, the Qatari Foreign Minister’s Assistant for Foreign Relations, travelled to Moscow on a working visit and held talks with Special Presidential Representativ and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. In June 2013, Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani replaced his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, as Emir of Qatar. On December 5, it was officially announced that the level of diplomatic relations between Russia and Qatar would be lowered.īilateral relations thawed somewhat after there was a generational change in Qatar’s top leadership. On December 4, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim. On November 30, the Foreign Ministry sent a note of protest to the Embassy of Qatar in Moscow and demanded apologies and punishment for the culprits. On November 29, 2011, customs service and police officers at Doha Airport tried to forcibly open a diplomatic pouch that the Ambassador was carrying from Amman. Political dialogue between Russia and Qatar virtually came to a halt after bilateral relations significantly cooled in late 2011 as a result of a major provocation by against the Russian Ambassador to Qatar staged by Qatari secret services. He later met with Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation’s Federal Assembly and Sergey Naryshkin, Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation’s Federal Assembly. On January 17−19, 2016, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani paid an official visit to Moscow and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 18. On February 5, 2014, in Sochi, Vladimir Putin met with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the first time. The former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber bin Mohammed bin Thani Al Thani, visited Russia in 20. The previous Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, made two official visits to Russia − in December 2001 and November 2010. In February 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Qatar. In November 1989, they opened their respective embassies in Moscow and Doha. The Soviet Union and Qatar established diplomatic relations on August 1, 1988.