Putin to discuss with Qatari emir Middle East situation, bilateral relations

MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will on Monday hold talks in the Kremlin with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Kremlin press service reported. "The sides plan to substantially exchange opinions on urgent issues of the international agenda, first of all the situation in the Middle East region and Northern Africa," the press service said. The Kremlin said that during the upcoming meeting, priority attention will also be paid to "comprehensively boosting Russian-Qatari cooperation in the trade, economic, investment, energy and humanitarian spheres." Al Thani is making his first official visit to Russia on January 17-19 on an invitation from the Russian leader. In the recent months, Putin has regularly met with the leadership of the countries of the Middle East and Gulf region, to discuss, first of all, the situation in Syria and the fight against terrorism. According to UN statistics, fighting between Syrian government troops and militants has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions since its start in 2011. Russia’s Aerospace Forces started delivering pinpoint strikes in Syria at facilities of the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organizations, which are banned in Russia, on September 30, 2015, on a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad. The air group initially comprised over 50 aircraft and helicopters, including Sukhoi Su-24M, Su-25SM and state-of-the-art Su-34 aircraft. They were redeployed to the Khmeimim airbase in the province of Latakia. On October 7, 2015, four missile ships of the Russian Navy’s Caspian Flotilla fired 26 Kalibr cruise missiles (NATO codename Sizzler) at militants’ facilities in Syria. On October 8, the Syrian army passed to a large-scale offensive. In mid-November 2015, Russia increased the number of aircraft taking part in the operation in Syria to 69 and involved strategic bombers in strikes at militants. Targets of the Russian aircraft include terrorists’ gasoline tankers and oil refineries. Russia’s aircraft have made over 5,200 sorties since the start of the operation in Syria. Read more