US President Joe Biden will meet with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad at the White House on January 31.
According to Arab News, White House spokeswoman Jane Psaki said that the meeting between President Joe Biden and the Emir of Qatar will discuss security in the Middle East and strengthening global energy supply.
The meeting comes at a time when Washington and its European allies are pushing ahead with emergency energy plans if Russia cuts off supplies in the event of escalating tensions over Ukraine.
The United States and its European Union allies have accused Russia of seeking to undermine European stability by threatening to invade neighboring Ukraine. Ukraine is a former Soviet republic that is seeking to become part of NATO and other Western institutions.
The European Union receives about 40 percent of its energy supply from Russia, while Washington and its European allies are exploring global markets for alternative energy sources.
Qatar, a close ally of the United States, has large gas reserves and is the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas.
Speaking further, Jane Sackie said that Joe Biden would also thank Qatar for helping to safely evacuate US citizens, permanent residents and Afghan partners from Afghanistan since the US withdrawal last year.
Qatar has played a key role in both diplomacy and withdrawal since the end of the nearly 20-year war in Afghanistan.
