ASTANA, July 4. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin noted the good relations between Russia and Qatar and the positive trends in increasing trade turnover.

"The relations between Russia and Qatar are built on a very good, friendly basis," the head of state said at a meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Astana.

Putin noted that so far the two countries have "small trade turnover in absolute terms."

"But it has good growth prospects, and the trends are good," the Russian leader said.

He also pointed to the ongoing investment cooperation from both countries.

"A dialogue is underway on the possible connection of Qatar to the North-South transport corridor," Putin noted.

The intergovernmental agreement on the creation of the North-South transcontinental transport corridor was signed by Russia, India and Iran in 2000. The project is aimed at attracting the transit of cargo flows from India, Iran and the Persian Gulf countries through Russia to Europe (compared to the sea route through the Suez Canal, the distance is more than halved, reducing time and cost of transportation). Now the project unites several different transport systems of individual states.