Raisi Travels To Qatar To Represent Iran At Gas Exporting Forum

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (Raeesi) has traveled to Qatar to attend the sixth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

Raeisi arrived in Doha on Monday to hold high-level talks with Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and is also scheduled to address the GECF summit on Tuesday.

Several ministers and officials are accompanying Raisi and several agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are to be signed during his two-day visit. Iran and Qatar share the world’s largest gas-field, with the Iranian part known as South Pars and Qatar’s as North Dome.

Iran’s roads and transport minister, Rostam Ghasemi, told the state broadcaster that four agreements will be signed between the two countries, the most important of which is about a plan to connect Iran and Qatar via an underwater tunnel.

According to Ghasemi, two of the other agreements are about shipping and boosting maritime trade, and the fourth relates to improving air travel.

The trip could also be an opportunity for Qatar to discuss Iran’s nuclear negotiations with world powers and the issue of direct talks with the United States. Iran has rejected any mediation on the issue.

Washington is also liaising with energy-producing states and firms over possible diversion of supplies to Europe should Russia invade Ukraine. Moscow supplies one-third of Europe’s natural gas and might stop winter deliveries if sanctioned by the US or western Europe over any action in Ukraine.