Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a letter to Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Tuesday, concerning ways to support and strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries as well as issues of mutual interest, the Qatari state news agency said.

Putin’s letter was delivered to al-Thani by the Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov, who is currently in Doha attending a gas exporters conference.