Qatar is intensifying its role as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, with ongoing efforts to reunite children displaced by the conflict and new negotiations to broaden its mediation scope. Majid bin Mohammed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed this during an episode of the One Decision podcast.
Al-Ansari stated that Qatar has been committed to fostering dialogue between the two nations from the outset of the conflict. Recently, Doha began addressing the issue of prisoners of war. He highlighted that Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, took immediate action in the early hours of the conflict, offering balanced diplomatic statements and proposing mediation during meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Although the initial offer was declined, Qatar later became part of the grain deal and other humanitarian efforts.
One of Qatar’s key accomplishments has been facilitating the reunification of children separated from their families due to the war. According to Al-Ansari, Doha's efforts have led to the reunification of 34 individuals with their families, including four Russian children returned to their families in Russia. This cooperation was praised by both sides.
On November 27, Qatar’s embassy in Moscow assisted in the repatriation of two Russian children. The following day, Russia transferred seven Ukrainian children to Ukrainian representatives via Qatar’s diplomatic channels. Since the initiative began, 15 children from 10 Russian families have been reunited with their relatives in Russia, while 87 children from 69 families have been reunited with loved ones in Ukraine and other countries.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced its intention to support exchanges of information regarding missing persons and facilitate correspondence between prisoners of war. Russian and Ukrainian ombudspersons have already exchanged letters from detainees during discussions in Doha.
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Based on TASS materials