Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, is to visit Tehran Thursday following the Iranian president’s visit to Doha, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported.
“The emir of Qatar will arrive on May 12 in Iran to follow up on the implementation of agreements and expand relations between the two countries,” the news agency said Wednesday.
It added that the visit would focus on cooperation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Doha from November, after Iran said it was ready to host some fans on its nearby resort island of Kish.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Monday that the Qatari leader would visit Tehran “in response to President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Doha” in February.
The two leaders signed a number of accords during Raisi’s visit, in which he attended a summit of gas-producing countries.
Ties between Doha and Tehran have grown close over the years, with the two countries sharing the world’s largest natural gas field.
Qatari Transport Minister Jassim bin Said al-Sulaiti visited Kish island in April and signed six cooperation agreements.
The Islamic republic has waived visa fees for visitors to Kish in the hope of attracting World Cup fans to the island.
Iran qualified in January for the World Cup finals for the sixth time in the national team’s history.