Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in Moscow, and though the event didn't produce any major breakthroughs, its political importance shouldn't be underestimated.

Part of Qatar's motivation for friendship is the price it's had to pay for its falling out, subsequent embargo and basically total breach in relations with its neighbors in the Gulf Cooperation Council — mainly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. 

For Moscow, this visit demonstrated its even-handed approach to both sides in the regional conflict — as Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud visited Russia in the fall — and, Russia hopes, strengthened its standing with Arab countries.

Qatar aims to continue its course to diversify foreign relations adopted after the onset of the crisis. The embargo gives Doha reason to deepen its contacts with Moscow, both because of Washington's ambivalent position during Qatar's breach with its neighbors, and because of Qatar's general intent to normalize relations with Iran and also strengthen the strategic alliance with Turkey — Russia's two partners in the Syrian resolution process. Those circumstances also made Qatar revise its own positions on the Syrian conflict, some of which Tamim and Putin discussed.