"We are convinced that thanks to its historic ties with the Arab countries, Russia will be able to find a way to solve the Syrian crisis," Al-Attiyah said.
He added that even though Qatar and Russia remain at odds over the future of Syria, the Moscow-Doha dialogue has helped to hammer out a common stance on the issue.
Russia and #Qatar signed agreements on visa-free trips for holders of diplomatic passports & on culture cooperation https://t.co/XdrMBPMgcG
— MFA Russia (@mfa_russia) 18 января 2016
"We have no doubt that Russia stands for a united and secular Syria, and we agree with these principles," the Qatari Foreign Minister pointed out.
Touching upon Russian-Turkish relations, which were spoiled after Ankara's downing of a Russian warplane in November 2015, Al-Attiyah recalled that conflicts between Russia and the Ottoman Empire had not been uncommon in the past. He expressed confidence that the current deterioration in relations will not lead to grave political and military consequences.
"We very much hope that the Russian-Turkish settlement will be reached and that the two's differences will be resolved by diplomatic means thanks to the wisdom of both countries' authorities", he said.
Separately, he addressed global energy security, which he said should be maintained through the efforts of Moscow and Doha, the biggest gas exporters in the world.
#Lavrov: Russia & Qatar hope that the talks between the Syrian Government & opposition will begin in January @MofaQatar_EN @rusembassyqatar
— MFA Russia (@mfa_russia) 19 января 2016
"First of all, our countries have a moral duty, not just legal one, to ensure uninterrupted gas supplies to the world. It is difficult to find a home that could not be provided with electricity obtained from Russian or Qatari energy sources. So we complement each other in this regard. We are not rivals in energy", Al-Attiyah said.
The sides also voiced hope that the negotiations between Syrian authorities and the country's opposition will begin later this month. In addition, Russia and Qatar confirmed their readiness to closely cooperate on the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022.
