MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Thani confirmed their intentions to closely cooperate on the preparation of FIFA World Cup championships in 2018 and 2022, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
"We have traditionally close ties in the field of sports, and today His Highness the emir and the Russian president reiterated the mutual commitment to a very close cooperation in this field, including in the context of the World Championships in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022," Lavrov told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Thani met with Putin during his official visit to Moscow.
In 2011, working-level contacts were established between the organizing committees for FIFA World Cups in Russia and Qatar, the Russian Olympic Committee and Asian Olympic Committee.
