Putin, Qatari Emir agree to intensify efforts to search for Syrian conflict settlement

MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Emir of Qatar Tamim Al Thani have agreed to intensify efforts to search for the settlement of the Syrian conflict, Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah said on Monday. "The heads of the two countries have agreed that it is necessary to look for political settlement in Syria. That is why, the leaders have agreed to intensify the efforts to put an end to fighting, killings and hunger among civilians," the Qatari foreign minister told journalists after the talks between Russian President Putin and Emir of Qatar Tamim Al Thani. "It was also agreed to see to it that the Syrian people can exercise its will and this requires the support of Arab countries, and also international players," he added. The leaders of both countries also shared the opinion that a delay in settling the Syrian crisis would only lead to further deterioration of the situation and an escalation of the inter-religious confrontation, the Qatari foreign minister said. "We, on our part, confirmed the inadmissibility of a split on religious grounds," the Qatari foreign minister said. "We confirm that Qatar does not support any form of violence or terrorism," al-Attiyah said. According to him, Qatar believes that it is possible to put an end to terrorism only by returning citizens their rights. According to the Qatari foreign minister, the leaders of both countries are unanimous in their opinion that Russia and Qatar can play a positive role in establishing stability and security in the Middle East. Putin has been holding regular meetings in recent months with the leaders of Mideast and Persian Gulf countries, which primarily focus on the Syria situation and the fight against terrorism. On Thursday, Putin held a telephone conversation with King of Jordan Abdullah II who had also visited Russian and talked with the Russian leader in November and August last year. Putin also held meetings on the sidelines of a gas summit in Tehran on November 23 with Iran’s spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The Russian president also held a meeting with King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Antalya in mid-November. Also in November, Putin discussed Mideast issues and bilateral relations with Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at his Black Sea residence in Sochi. On October 20, Syrian President Bashar Assad paid a brief visit to Moscow for talks with the Russian leadership. Also in October, Putin held meetings in Sochi with successor to the Crown Prince, Defense Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Mohammed al Nahyan (In August, he also came to Moscow to visit the MAKS-2015 air show). The Kremlin viewed the results of these meetings positively. In September 2015, Putin held a brief meeting with the Iraqi prime minister at the jubilee summit of the UN General Assembly. In August last year, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi paid an official visit to Russia. Putin also holds regular telephone conversations and bilateral meetings with the leader of another Mideast country, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu. Read more