Qatar eyes Russia to expand allies as list of boycotting states grows

CAIRO- 25 August 2017: Qatar’s Minister of State for Defense, Khalid bin Mohammad al-Attiyah met with Defense Minister of the Russian Federation General of the Army Sergei Shoigu to discuss mutual cooperation, seeking to expand its relations with Western countries.

Al-Attiyah accompanied by a delegation of Qatar participated in the Russian Army 2017 International Military Technical Forum to acquire technologies of producing Russian air defense systems, according to the Russian Defense talk newspaper.

At the beginning of August, Qatar has concluded a €5 billion ($5.9 billion) deal with Italy for seven navy vessels.

Qatar holds naval and military maneuvers in the Arab Gulf waters with Turkey.

Moreover, Turkey has sent about 5,000 soldiers to Doha upon the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani’s request.

Doha also seeks to enhance its relations with Iran in a clear challenge to the Quartet’s demands. Qatar’s Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani shows full support to the Shi’ite state through sending a delegation to the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s president, returning Qatar’s ambassador to Iran, and signing cooperation agreements with Iranian businessmen.

On Wednesday, Chad severed its political ties with Qatar to join a long list of boycotting countries. In June, several countries announced cutting diplomatic ties with the tiny Gulf state, including: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, Maldives, Comoros, Mauritania, and Djibouti.

The Arab Quartet that includes: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain sent 13 demands to the tiny Gulf state to fulfill as a condition for the restoration of diplomatic ties.

The list of demands included closing Al Jazeera television channel, reducing ties to their regional adversary Iran, and the closing of a Turkish military base in Qatar.

The demands, handed to Qatar by mediator Kuwait also required that Qatar refrain from interfering in the four countries' domestic and foreign affairs and halt the practice of giving the Qatari nationality to citizens of the four countries, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The countries gave Doha 10 days to comply with their demands.