Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani met on Tuesday in Doha with visiting Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres, Kuwait's official KUNA news agency reported.

The meeting was attended by Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmad Bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud and Ali al-Hajri, the director of the Department of European and American affairs, said the report.

Peres is to take part in the Doha Debates, a forum organized by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

According to KUNA, Israeli officials have indicated that Peres' visit to the Gulf state is intended to serve "public relations purposes," rather than politics, but without giving more details about the talks.

Peres had reportedly opened a trade office in Doha in 1996, added the report.

All the six Gulf Arab countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain, do not recognize Israel, but Qatar maintains low-level ties with the Jewish state.

Source: Xinhua