India and Oman adopted a ‘Vision Document’ and agreed to expedite the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on Saturday during Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s three-day visit to India.
The two sides also discussed the situation in Gaza and signed five MoUs spanning areas of culture, information technology and terror financing, among others.
Joint Vision Document
Indian PM Narendra Modi and the Sultan held closed consultations followed by delegation-level talks on 16 December.
Transforming 🇮🇳-🇴🇲 ties!
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) December 16, 2023
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
A Joint Vision document titled ‘A Partnership For the Future’ was adopted during the visit.
The document identified “maritime cooperation and connectivity, energy security and green energy, space, technologies, and applications, digital payments and financial cooperation, trade and investment, health, tourism and hospitality, IT & innovation, as well as agriculture and food security” as areas of cooperation.
The two leaders discussed political and security cooperation, defence, trade, energy security and renewables, healthcare, education, culture, and people-to-people during their bilateral meeting.
Furthermore, Indian President Droupadi Murmu hosted a banquet dinner for the Sultan, who was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan during his arrival.
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
The two countries also agreed to accelerate and conclude negotiations on an India-Oman CEPA.
“The agreement has the potential to catapult this partnership and achieve a higher growth trajectory that would align with the immense potential of this historically close bilateral relationship,” the joint statement noted.
“I hope that we will be able to sign this agreement soon, which will add a new chapter to our economic cooperation,” the PM Modi said in his address.
MoUs in Culture, IT, Money Laundering
The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) and the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technology (MTCIT) of Oman signed an agreement in the field of Information Technology to deepen ties between the two nations.
“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,” the joint statement read.
The two countries also concluded an agreement concerning the Gainful Employment of Accompanying Persons of Official Employees.
Additionally, an MoU between the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) India and the National Centre for Financial Information (NCFI) Oman was signed on cooperation in the exchange of intelligence related to money laundering, associated predicate offences and terrorism financing.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) also concluded an agreement with Dhofar University, Oman, on the establishment of the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies - Hindi Language.
Further, an MoU was signed between the two nations in the field of culture.
President Droupadi Murmu accorded a ceremonial welcome to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the Sultan of Oman at Rashtrapati Bhavan. pic.twitter.com/HGvEt9XR67
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) December 16, 2023
The leaders also announced the third tranche of the Oman-India Joint Investment Fund (OIJIF), which will help secure investments from Oman and the Gulf region into the fastest-growing sectors of the Indian economy.
Discussions on Gaza
During the meeting, India and Oman underscored the importance of all states adhering to international law, honouring each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, abstaining from meddling in one another’s domestic affairs, and resolving disputes amicably via communication and diplomacy.
The Ministry of External Affairs said in a media briefing that both leaders discussed the ongoing developments in the conflict in Gaza, including the continuing challenge that both countries face from the emerging multiple dimensions of the conflict, catastrophic humanitarian situation, challenge of terrorism, and the larger need to find and try and achieve a two-state solution as a way forward.
This was the Sultan’s first State Visit to India since he took office in 2020. His visit was the first in 25 years since the late Sultan Qaboos visited India in 1997. Indian PM Narendra Modi visited Oman in February 2018.