Denis Manturov and Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held the 5th meeting of the Joint Russian-Qatari Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation
Denis Manturov and Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held the 5th meeting of the Joint Russian-Qatari Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation.
First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Denis Manturov and Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held the 5th meeting of the Joint Russian-Qatari Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation.
The parties discussed bilateral collaboration in trade, investment, finances, transport and digital technologies, as well as in humanitarian projects, including culture, sports, and education. They also focused on industrial cooperation in pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding, and power engineering, including the renewable energy sector.
Denis Manturov noted that the two countries’ bilateral trade does not reflect the existing potential, considering the scale of Russia and Qatar’s foreign trade. Food supplies were identified as a potential avenue for building up and diversifying mutual trade.
“Grain crops, primarily wheat and barley, already prevail in the pattern of our trade. We are prepared to increase shipments of agricultural products, including halal produce. This presents an opportunity not only to ensure Qatar’s food security but also to create a regional agro-industrial hub in your country. Promising food exports also include beef, poultry meat, sunflower oil, and confectionery products,” Denis Manturov said.
According to Mr Manturov, the two countries can carry out mutually beneficial pharmaceutical projects. Apart from supplying a wide range of medicines, Russia is considering the possibility of localising production processes in Qatar, along with transferring technologies. In addition, there is significant potential for cooperation in shipbuilding, where Russia has advanced research and development, including passenger hydrofoil ships and environmentally friendly noiseless electric ships that are widely used on its waterways.
“Cooperation in the field of digital technologies holds significant potential. Russian companies have developed unique solutions in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and information security. I would particularly highlight opportunities for collaboration between Moscow and Doha in the increasingly relevant area of smart city technologies,” Denis Manturov noted.
Positive trends in tourism cooperation were also acknowledged. “Last year, over 100,000 Russian citizens visited Qatar. Interest in Russia is also growing among Qatari nationals: in 2024, we welcomed over 11,000 tourists from your country. This is hardly surprising because Russia offers a unique blend of natural and climatic diversity, cultural and historical heritage, and a rapidly developing hospitality industry and security sector,” Denis Manturov added.
Speaking about sport collaboration, the First Deputy Prime Minister recalled that, in November 2024, Doha hosted the Sky Grace 2024 International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament, organised at the initiative of Olympic champion Alina Kabayeva. A forthcoming intergovernmental memorandum of understanding on physical fitness and sport is expected to further strengthen cooperation in this field.
In conclusion, Denis Manturov invited Qatari representatives to take part in several major international events in Russia, including the St Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2025, where Qatar was a guest in 2021; the Russia – Islamic World International Economic Forum in Kazan in May; the Innoprom International Industrial Trade Fair in Yekaterinburg in July; and Russian Energy Week in Moscow in October. Additionally, during the intergovernmental commission’s meeting, the Russian side suggested holding a Russia-Qatar business forum in Moscow in April. At the close of the session, the final protocol of the commission’s 5th meeting was signed.
