German and the Republic of Korean officials held talks in gas-rich Qatar on Sunday, underlining efforts by major energy importers to find alternatives to Russian supplies amid disruptions to oil and gas markets caused by the Ukraine conflict.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met the RoK Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck for talks on bilateral cooperation focusing on the energy sector, the state Qatar News Agency reported.

The Gulf Arab state is the world's top exporter of liquefied natural gas and holds the third largest gas reserves after Russia and Iran.

Kim also met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani for talks touching on investment, energy, health, agriculture, security and sports, especially the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Doha, QNA said.