Russia and Qatar hold discussions on collaborating at international multilateral events in 2019–2020
A meeting between Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov and Minister of Finance of Qatar Ali Sharif Al Emadi has taken place in Moscow.
Discussions focused on expanding bilateral ties, increasing opportunities for business to share ideas and experience, and Qatar’s involvement in Russia’s biggest international business events.
Aspects concerning Qatar’s participation in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2020 as guest country commanded particular attention.
As part of preparations for this major event in 2020, a range of positioning options for Qatar at SPIEF 2019 were put forward. These included holding sessions and roundtables, inviting key speakers, presenting the social economic zone in Doha with assistance from the Qatar Financial Centre, and, as noted by Al Emadi, sending a delegation of young representatives from Qatar to participate in the International Youth Forum. Another possibility under consideration is a presentation of the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the event’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.
“We are ready to offer a wide range of opportunities pertaining to Qatar’s participation in SPIEF 2020. We can, for example, work together on creating the business agenda for the forum and hold business and cultural events as part of the programme. We could also construct a national stand at the exhibition, which could serve as a key networking area, presentation area, a venue for meetings, and a place where people can learn more about Qatar’s economic potential. What’s more, we are willing to offer partnership opportunities to major companies from Qatar, enabling them to promote their businesses at SPIEF,” said Kobyakov.
Al Emadi reserved praise for the high standard of organization at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. “I had the honour of attending SPIEF in 2015. I remember the admiration I felt when seeing how exceptionally well the event had been organized. SPIEF has become a forum of genuine global significance, and I would like to officially state that it will be a huge honour for Qatar to participate in SPIEF 2020 as guest country. We can state categorically that we will make every effort to ensure that our participation is as effective as possible, and will feature a broad cross-section of business representatives from Qatar,” he said.
Opportunities for practical collaboration between the two countries at multilateral international events were also explored at the meeting. In particular, an agreement was made to hold a SPIEF session and a meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in Doha in February 2020.
Other topics covered at the meeting included collaboration on other major business events in Russia and abroad, such as the Eastern Economic Forum, Russian Energy Week, and Russia House in Davos.
Al Emadi voiced his support for the Russian proposals, and also offered assistance in signing a framework agreement between Qatari non-profit organizations, leading media outlets and business associations, and the Roscongress Foundation. This agreement would seek to increase economic, trade, and investment cooperation between Russia and Qatar, as well as facilitate the organization of joint events.
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Last year marked 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Qatar. 2018 was also designated the Qatar–Russia Year of Culture, which saw a large number of events take place with the direct involvement of the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Moscow. These provided people in Russia with the opportunity to find out about Qatar’s distinct history and culture. In addition, Qatar was guest country at the St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum, which took place in November. Guests were not only able to learn about the country’s traditions, but also about the latest trends in its modern art scene, and how they reflect the rapid pace of change in the country.
