MOSCOW, November 20 – RIA Novosti. Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, in a meeting with Qatar’s Ambassador to Russia Ahmed bin Nasser bin Jasim Al Thani, said that Russia helped Qatar during the 2022 FIFA World Cup preparations.

The meeting was held as part of Qatar’s solemn reception dedicated to the opening of the World Cup, which will begin on Sunday.

The Minister of Sports stated that Russia is ready to continue to support Qatar and share its experience in organizing major international events. Qatar’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation said that Qatar follows an independent policy and does not bow to pressure from international structures.

“Russia has always been our true friend, these relations are extremely important to us. They cover many areas of life, but we see sports as one of the important areas of cooperation. We raised the flag at the opening of the fan zone. Russia – at such a large-scale international event, all eyes are on While we are in Qatar, it is important that Russia’s contribution is recognized. After all, thanks to your country, we have had a significant success in the preparations for the World Cup. At the same time, we follow an independent policy and do not succumb to pressures from international structures. We continue to be open to the development of relations in the field of sports and physical education. “

Matytsin invited the Qatari delegation to participate in international competitions that will be held in Russia – the third stage of the Friendship Games competition, which will be held in Kazan in December, the International University Sports Festival in Yekaterinburg in 2023, the innovative Games tournament to come in 2024 in Kazan. Russia is also ready to help Qatari students study at Russian sports universities.