‘A partnership for future’: PM Modi, Oman Sultan adopt new joint vision

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks with the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik, at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Saturday.

The two leaders adopted a new ‘India-Oman joint vision, a partnership for future’ under which both countries will work in ten different areas.

Speaking at the meeting of the joint delegation, PM Modi said, “Today we are adopting a new India-Oman joint vision, a partnership for the future. In this joint vision, concrete action points have been agreed upon in ten different areas. I am confident that the joint vision will give a new and modern shape to our partnership.”

“I am happy that the discussion on the CEPA agreement is going on and two rounds of discussion have been successfully completed, in which many important issues have been agreed upon. I hope that we will soon be able to sign this agreement which will add a new dimension to our economic cooperation,” PM Modi added.

Transforming - ties!

PM @narendramodi held productive discussions with His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman.

The leaders reviewed bilateral relationship covering the areas of political, security, defence, trade, economic, cultural and people to people ties. They… pic.twitter.com/7t4RMOy2ul

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) December 16, 2023

Terming the Sultan’s maiden State visit as ‘historic’, PM Modi said, “I am happy to welcome you to India. Today is a historic day in Oman-India relations as after 26 years, the Sultan of Oman has come to India on a state visit and I have got the opportunity to welcome you. On behalf of the people of India, I welcome you.”

Also congratulating Oman for qualifying for the T20I cricket world cup to be co-hosted by the West Indies and the US next year, he said, “Last month, Oman qualified for the T-20 Cricket World Cup to be held in 2024. I congratulate you on this.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State V Muraleedhraran, and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra were also present in the meeting.

Earlier, PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik at the Hyderabad House and discussed future collaborations between the two countries.

Oman Sultan also visited the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi.

PM Modi will also host a luncheon in Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik’s honour later on Saturday.

Earlier, on Saturday, the Sultan of Oman was accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday, the second day of his state visit to India.

PM Modi and President Droupadi Murmu received the Sultan at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.Sultan Haitham bin Tarik then inspected a Guard of Honour by the combined defence services.

On December 15, Sultan arrived at the Delhi airport on Friday for a three-day State visit and was received by Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan.

Earlier, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Arindam Bagchi, said the visit by the Sultan of Oman will further boost the friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

“His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik of Oman arrives to a warm welcome in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India. Received by @MOS_MEA at the airport. The visit will further reinforce the longstanding friendship and cooperation between India & Oman and strengthen bilateral ties,” Bagchi posted from his official handle on X.

The MEA noted that the maiden State visit by the Sultan of Oman marks a significant milestone in the diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Muscat.

The visit will be an opportunity to explore avenues for future collaboration between India and Oman for regional stability, progress and prosperity, the MEA release stated.

Significantly, India and Oman share a long-standing friendship rooted in historical, cultural, and economic ties. Furthermore, people-to-people contact between India and Oman can be traced back 5,000 years.

The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1955 and were upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2008.Oman is India’s closest defence partner in the Gulf region as well, with defence cooperation emerging as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between the two countries, according to the MEA.

Oman is the only country in West Asia with which all three services of the Indian Armed Forces conduct regular bilateral exercises and service-level staff talks.

India also extended a special invitation to the Sultanate of Oman to participate in the G20 Summit and meetings as a guest country under India’s G20 Presidency.

Oman participated in over 150 working group meetings, with nine of its ministers taking part in various G20 ministerial meetings. (ANI)