The deal was struck during a visit to Doha by German Economy Minister Robert Habeck as Berlin began moves to diversify Germany's energy supply.
"The German government has taken rapid and concrete measures to accelerate the development of two LNG terminals in Germany", a priority to "enable the long-term import of LNG" in this country, indicated the Qatari Ministry of LNG. 'Energy.
The two parties "have agreed that their respective commercial entities will re-engage and advance discussions on the long-term supply of LNG from Qatar to Germany", he added.
Several years of discussions with Berlin had previously failed "to produce definitive agreements due to the lack of clarity on the place of long-term gas in Germany's energy mix and on the import infrastructure of LNG required".
Doha has cited the huge investment cost of gas production to justify the need for long-term contracts.
Qatar, which is among the world's top three LNG exporters, plans to increase its production by 50% by 2027.
In Berlin, a spokeswoman for the German Ministry of the Economy confirmed earlier on Sunday the conclusion of a long-term agreement, specifying that the next step for the companies concerned will be "entry into the concrete contract negotiations".
Mr. Habeck met in Doha with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
European countries are increasingly relying on LNG as an alternative to Russian gas, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The question is particularly delicate for Germany, half of whose gas imports come from Russia.
Origin of EU gas imports Patricio ARANA AFP
Ahead of his trip to the Middle East, which also includes a visit to the United Arab Emirates, Mr Habeck told Deutschlandfunk radio on Saturday that the government was concerned about the security of Germany's gas supplies for the coming winter. .
"If we don't get more gas next winter and deliveries from Russia are cut off, then we wouldn't have enough gas to heat all the houses and run all the industries," warned the environmental minister.
This week, Mr. Habeck, also climate minister, also visited Norway, a major gas producer, after a trip to the United States earlier this month.
Berlin is criticized for its opposition to an immediate embargo on Russian hydrocarbons in order to dry up financial flows to Moscow, following the invasion of Ukraine.
But for Berlin, such a boycott would destabilize the German economy and society because it would cause a spike in the cost of energy as well as the risk of shortages.
© 2022 AFP