MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/. Russia hopes for further growth of trade turnover with Qatar and for development of the bilateral cooperation in the investment and energy sectors, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday after negotiations with Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.

"We have confirmed the positive dynamics of the trade turnover, which doubled last year, though in absolute values, of course, it leaves much to be desired," the Russian minister said. "We have agreed that at the upcoming meeting of the joint inter-governmental commission on economic cooperation, due in late April in Doha, the countries will discuss steps to fix the positive tendency and to develop further the economic ties."

"Following the agreement Qatar’s Investment Authority participated in Rosneft’s capital, there are also additional plans between our investment structures, including with involvement of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which is also a very positive tendency," Lavrov added.

The countries also "develop successfully the cooperation in the energy sector, both in bilateral forms and in cooperation between OPEC and non-cartel countries, as well as in the framework of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum," Lavrov said.