MOSCOW: Russia's President Vladimir Putin said Russia was interested in working in close cooperation with Qatar to ensure stability in the global gas market, in a phone call with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Friday, the Kremlin said.

Putin also congratulated Qatar on hosting the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which kicks off this weekend. FIFA banned Russia, which hosted the previous tournament in 2018, from participating in its competitions earlier this year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.