The last leg of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's three-day regional visit to Russia, Kuwait and Qatar covered elaborate discussions on regional issues and bilateral ties with the gas-rich Gulf emirate Qatar. The president held tête-à-tête meetings with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and presided over the Third Turkey-Qatar High Strategic Committee meeting. In the meetings, Erdoğan and al-Thani discussed Syria, the Iraq crisis, the diplomatic rift between Qatar and other Gulf countries and bilateral economic ties between Turkey and Qatar.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of cooperation and solidarity among regional countries with a view to maintaining stability. Erdoğan and al-Thani exchanged views on regional and global matters in their meetings. They particularly delved into the Syrian and Iraqi crises and the diplomatic crisis between Qatar and four Gulf countries led by Saudi Arabia, which broke out in early June and remains unresolved. President Erdoğan highlighted the necessity to sustain stability in the region and said Turkey will continue its constructive intermediary role to institute stability, cooperation and solidarity among the regional countries.

The meetings also covered the latest stage of decisions taken in last year's Turkey-Qatar High Strategic Committee meeting, which took place on Dec. 18 in the Black Sea coastal city of Trabzon when al-Thani visited Turkey. Turkey and Qatar also discussed steps to expand economic, commercial and investment cooperation. In particular, Qatar's winter tourism investment plans in Trabzon was another major topic of negotiations.

President Erdoğan underscored that the $710 million bilateral trade volume recorded in 2016 is far from reflecting the potential and expressed common targets to increase the current volume.

The president noted that initiatives would be taken in defense, energy, transportation, food safety and health to boost mutual trade operations and said state officials will continue to support mutual investments.

In the aftermath of the blockade, Turkish exports to Qatar hit $165 million between June and September, a remarkable 84 percent increase compared to the same period last year. According to the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), Turkey sent $65 million in exports to Qatar in August alone, 75 percent more than the same month the previous year.

According to the Ministry of Economy, Qatari investments in Turkey hit $1.5 billion this past August.

Over the years, the small Gulf nation has made a number of significant acquisitions in Turkish retail, media and finance businesses. For instance, the Qatar National Bank (QNB), the Gulf's largest lender, acquired Turkey's Finansbank for $2.94 billion in June 2016 from the bank's Greek shareholder National Bank of Greece. The same year, the Commercial Bank of Qatar, which had a 75 percent stake in ABank, bought the remaining 25 percent from Anadolu Group for $222.5 million. Moreover, Qatari investment fund Mayhoola for Investments bought shares in Turkish retail giant Boyner, while Qatar's beIN Media Group acquired Turkish satellite television provider Digitürk.

President Erdoğan also visited the base of the Turkish Armed Forces in Qatar. Turkey and Qatar have previously conducted joint military exercises in an aim to strengthen coordination and cooperation between the two countries, which are members of the anti-Daesh coalition.

Turkey's parliament fast-tracked legislation on June 7 to allow hundreds of troops to be deployed to a military base in Qatar, set up as part of an agreement signed in 2014, in a show of support for Qatar, which is also home to the biggest U.S. air base in the region.

Ankara has said it will deploy 3,000 ground troops at the base to serve as a venue for joint training exercises and to support anti-terrorism efforts.

Moreover, a signing ceremony for a number of agreements between Turkey and Qatar was held yesterday in Qatar's capital Doha with President Erdoğan and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in attendance.

The ceremony took place following private talks between the two leaders at Doha's Amiri Diwan government complex and the committee meeting.

At the signing ceremony, Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) Governor Murat Çetinkaya and Central Bank of Qatar Governor Sheikh Abdulla Bin Suud al-Thani signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Ventral Banking.

Culture and Tourism Minister Numan Kurtulmuş and Economy and Trade Minister of Qatar Sheikh Ahmad bin Jassim bin Muhammad al-Thani signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Legal and Judicial Cooperation between the two countries was signed by Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül and Justice Minister of Qatar Hasan Lahdan Sagr al-Mohannady.

Forestry and Water Affairs Minister Veysel Eroğlu and Qatari Transportation and Communications Minister Jassim bin Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti signed the Declaration of Intent for Business Cooperation in the Field of Meteorology.

The Brother Ports Business Cooperation Agreement was signed by Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications Minister Ahmet Arslan and Qatar Transportation and Communications Minister Jassim bin Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti.

Justice Minister Gül and Qatari State Attorney General Ali bin Fetais al-Marri signed the Judicial Cooperation Agreement in Criminal Issues

Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Ahmet Eşref Fakibaba and Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Food Security.

The Protocol on Cooperation between the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) and the Qatar Media Corporation (QMC) was signed by TRT General Director İbrahim Eren and QMC CEO Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani.

The Research Memorandum of Understanding between the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) Information Security and Information Security Advanced Technology Research Center BİLGEM and Qatar State University of Qatar was signed by TÜBİTAK Chairman Arif Ergin and Qatar University Rector Hasan Rashid al-Derham.

The Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Humanitarian Aid and the Joint Declaration was signed by Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi.