Soccer-Putin wishes Qatar success in hosting World Cup

Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends meeting with Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon and Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), in Astana, Kazakhstan October 13, 2022. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS

Russian President Vladimir Putin wished Qatar success in staging the upcoming World Cup and said the 2018 hosts were sharing their experience in organising the tournament.

Russia reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2018 but is barred from the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 tournament due to its invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.

Putin met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on the sidelines of a summit in Kazakhstan on Thursday.

"We are doing everything we can in terms of sharing our experience regarding preparations for the World Cup," Putin said. "I would like to wish you success in holding this World Cup, this event. I am sure that's how it will be."

Qatar is the first Middle East nation to host the World Cup.

"The success that Russia had during the 2018 World Cup is a big help in preparing for the World Cup that we will be hosting," Sheikh Tamim said. "We thank you for your cooperation in preparing for the upcoming tournament."

(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)