Qatar in talks to purchase S-400 missile defense system from Russia

Talks between Qatar and Russia for Doha to purchase an S-400 Triumf missile defense system are firmly underway, Qatar’s Ambassador to Russia Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah said.

“The answer is yes, we are already in advanced negotiations,” Al-Attiyah said in an interview with Tass news agency published on Thursday.

He added that negotiations are underway for “capabilities for our land forces as well.”

Saudi Arabia, which is leading efforts to isolate Qatar in the Gulf, finalized an S-400 purchase in October, signing a $3 billion package deal with Russia that includes the Kornet-EM anti tank guided missile system, the TOS-1A unguided thermobaric rocket system, the AGS-30 automatic grenade launcher and Kalashnikov AK-103 assault rifles.

Russia and Qatar signed an agreement on military-cooperation in October when Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu visited Doha.

“This paves the way for cooperation between Russia and Qatar in defense, in sales of military hardware, training of officers and soldiers, maintenance, and of course intelligence cooperation,” Tass reported Al-Attiyah as saying.