MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will on Monday hold talks in the Kremlin with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Kremlin press service reported.

"The sides plan to substantially exchange opinions on urgent issues of the international agenda, first of all the situation in the Middle East region and Northern Africa," the press service said.

The Kremlin said that during the upcoming meeting, priority attention will also be paid to "comprehensively boosting Russian-Qatari cooperation in the trade, economic, investment, energy and humanitarian spheres."

Al Thani is making his first official visit to Russia on January 17-19 on an invitation from the Russian leader.