OREANDA-NEWS The Russian authorities are interested in creating an analogue of OPEC+, which will regulate the global gas market. This is how the experts explained URA.EN The meeting of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin with the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Mohammed Bin Abdelrahman Al Thani on June 21. According to analysts, the reorientation of the Russian Federation from Europe to Asia has led to the need to achieve a balance of interests of other major energy suppliers — Qatar, Turkmenistan and Iran.

In his welcoming speech, Mishustin noted that this is Al Thani's first working visit to Russia and expressed hope that it "will give impetus to the strengthening of bilateral cooperation." The Head of the Government of the Russian Federation noted the growth of trade turnover between the countries, and also named the key areas of cooperation — energy, transport and agriculture.

Russia and Qatar plan to actively stimulate the launch of new projects and provide comfortable conditions for companies to work in the markets of the two countries, the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation emphasized. "In the energy sector, Russia and Qatar have established a strategic partnership for the long term. The Qatar Investment Agency is the largest shareholder of Rosneft. We work together in the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries, which has its headquarters in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Coordination of actions in the global gas market ensures a balance of supply and demand at a level that suits both producers and consumers of natural gas," Mishustin said.

Russia may discuss several areas of cooperation in the energy market with Qatar, experts say. In November 2022, in a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Emir of Qatar Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the parties confirmed their interest in close coordination in the energy sector to maintain balance and stability in the global gas market. In early June 2023, Iranian Oil Minister Javad Oudji announced that Russia, Iran, Turkmenistan and Qatar are planning to create a gas hub on the Persian Gulf coast.