Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s visit is of special significance as it marks the Sultanate of Oman's first trip to India in over 25 years

Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tarik who arrived in India on a maiden visit, held a “productive” discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday.
 
“PM Narendra Modi held a productive discussion 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 also exchanged perspectives on regional and international issues,” Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi said in his tweet on X.
 
This visit is of special significance as it marks the Sultanate of Oman's first visit to India in over 25 years since the late Sultan Qaboos' visit in 1997, the joint statement issued in the wake of the Oman Sultan’s visit, said.
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sultan Haitham bin Tarik held closed consultations followed by delegation-level talks on Saturday.
 
“The meetings were marked by great warmth and friendliness. The two Leaders expressed satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral relations, which have stood the test of time, evolving into a strong and enduring partnership built on historical ties, mutual trust and respect, and shared interests,” the joint statement maintained.
 
During delegation level talks, Prime Minister Modi, in his opening remarks, lauded the warmth enjoyed by the two countries in their bilateral ties. “India and Oman have had an unbreakable bond of deep friendship for centuries. At one end of the Arabian Sea is India and at the other end is Oman.”

“Our mutual closeness is not limited to geography, but is also reflected in our trade spanning thousands of years, our culture, and our common priorities. On the strength of this glorious history, we are building a bright future ahead,” Prime Modi added.
 
“Today, we are adopting a new ‘India-Oman Joint Vision-A Partnership for Future.’ In the Joint Vision, concrete action-points have been agreed upon on 10 different areas,” PM Modi said, while highlighting significance of the India-Oman Joint Vision, which includes maritime cooperation and connectivity, energy security and green energy, cooperation in space, digital payments and fintech, partnership in health, tourism and hospitality, disaster management, agriculture, and food security, and using cricket to bolster people-to-people ties.
 
“The Leaders expressed confidence that the Joint Vision document will act as a roadmap for strengthening bilateral cooperation in diverse areas and will scale up the India-Oman partnership to new heights,” India-Oman joint statement said.
 
Earlier, India and Oman agreed to give a push to negotiations to finalise comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), a trade deal which figured prominently during the talks between Prime Minister Modi and visiting Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told while briefing the media.
 
 “Although the negotiations on CEPA have started only recently, they have made substantial progress in the last few rounds of discussions and both leaders gave strong impetus and push to conclude the CEPA as early as possible,” Foreign Secretary Kwatra said.
 
Following a meeting between India and Oman on November 20, the negotiations on CEPA were fast-tracked. The two sides have agreed on most of the text for the agreement at the first round of talks in New Delhi on November 27-29 and the second round in Muscat on December 9-11.  

In the area of trade and investment, the two countries announced the third tranche of $300 million (about Rs 2,500 crore) for the Oman-India Joint Investment Fund, a 50-50 joint venture between the State Bank of India and the Oman Investment Authority created to channel funds into the fastest growing sectors of the Indian economy. The first tranche was valued at $100 million, second at about $200 million.
 
Foreign Secretary Kwatra termed the Joint Investment Fund as one reflecting the desire of the two countries to forage a “very strong base of economic ties through direct capital investments in the growing sectors of the Indian economy.”
 
The two-way trade between India and Oman has more than doubled from $5.4 billion in 2020-21 to $12.39 billion in 2022-23, the Foreign Secretary said, adding that the two countries were looking at the possibility of linking India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) system with its Omani counterpart and trade settlement in local currencies.
 
On India-Oman defence cooperation, Prime Minister Modi and Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tarik welcomed the steady deepening of defence cooperation between the two countries, underscoring the need to further enhance mutual engagement in this field.

The two leaders concurred on expanding cooperation in the field of space and expressed their appreciation for the recent bilateral interactions in this sector.

They recognized the vast potential for collaboration in various areas, including remote sensing, satellite launch and communication, and the practical applications of space technology, underscoring the shared interest between India and Oman in these domains.

Both sides discussed cooperation in civil aviation and air connectivity. The Omani side conveyed interest in working together for airspace and air traffic management system optimization for mutual benefit. The Indian side conveyed its willingness to continue the ongoing discussions between the civil aviation authorities of both sides for a collaborative way forward.

Both leaders acknowledged the importance of health cooperation and expressed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral collaboration in this important sector. They highlighted the potential for companies to explore future partnerships with their counterparts in manufacturing generic medicines.
 
Additionally, the leaders discussed the possibility of Oman becoming a central hub for Ayurveda in the Middle East, given the traditional Indian system of medicine's growing popularity in the region.

Both sides acknowledged that the centuries old people-to-people ties represent a fundamental pillar of the historic India-Oman relationship. The Indian side conveyed its appreciation to the Oman side for taking excellent care of the more than 700000 strong Indian diasporas residing in Oman.

The Omani side expressed gratitude for the substantial Indian expatriate community, recognizing their continued and valuable contributions to Omani society and the economy.

Both sides committed to enhancing cultural cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on culture. This agreement will promote increased collaboration in cultural activities, including sharing artistic performances, exhibitions, and cultural events.

On the sidelines of the visit, an India-Oman Joint Commemorative Postage Stamp was released symbolizing the long-standing cultural and people-to-people relationship between the two countries. The Joint Postage Stamp depicts traditional folk dances, artfully showcasing the cultural heritage of India and Oman and will be cherished by both philatelists and art enthusiasts in both countries.
 
The two leaders recalled the long history of maritime trade between India and Oman, enabling the exchange of goods and ideas across millennia. They reflected on the significant role played by dhows in facilitating trade and cultural exchanges, contributing to a longstanding and enriching history of interaction between the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula, especially Oman.
 
The leaders appreciated a proposal by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, to recreate a maritime voyage of a stitched ship, crafted with ancient knowhow in India. The tentative plan is for the ship to sail from the port of Mandvi in Gujarat to Muscat sometime in 2025- 26 followed by further voyages to other regions.
 
The two leaders expressed confidence that such a voyage would spotlight the ancient and historical connections between India and Oman, thereby strengthening the bedrock of mutual trust and people-to-people ties between the two nations.

Both sides also expressed their commitment to enhancing tourism cooperation, sharing best practices in sustainable tourism, and exploring the potential for increased tourism flows between the two countries.

The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They agreed that there cannot be any justification for any act of terror for any reason whatsoever. They affirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation to combat terrorism and underscored the significance of fostering the universal values of peace, moderation, coexistence, and tolerance while highlighting the imperative of renouncing all types of violent extremism.

They also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest and concerns. Both sides expressed a strong commitment to support endeavours that promote peace and stability globally and in the region.

India and Oman emphasized the need for all countries to abide by international law, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, and resolve conflicts peacefully through dialogue and diplomacy.

The two countries during Sultan Haitham bin Tarik also witnessed signing of five agreements in the field of culture, information technology, exchange of intelligence related to money laundering, associated predicate offences and terror financing, gainful employment of accompanying persons of official employees and setting up of the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies- Hindi Language.