 "Why Oman Sultan's first state visit to India is significant for both nations")
Oman’s leader has arrived in India for his first state visit. Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, accompanied by a high-level delegation of senior ministers and officials, was welcomed at the airport by Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan.
His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik of Oman arrives to a warm welcome in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India.
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) December 15, 2023
Received by @MOS_MEA at the airport.
The visit will further reinforce the longstanding friendship and cooperation between 🇮🇳 & 🇴🇲 and strengthen bilateral… pic.twitter.com/E7fLHYRyuH
“This first state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to India marks a significant milestone in the diplomatic relations between India and the Sultanate of Oman,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. It is also the first visit from a top Gulf leader after the Israel-Hamas conflict. But what do we know about the trip? And why is it significant for both nations? Let’s take a closer look: What we know about the trip The Sultan is visiting India after an invitation from President Droupadi Murmu. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will meet the Sultan shortly. He will be given a ceremonial welcome by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow. On day two of his visit, the Sultan will visit the National Gallery of Modern Art and meet Modi at Hyderabad House. Modi will also host a luncheon in the Sultan’s honour. Why is it significant? There are a number of reasons the trip is significant. First, because it continues India and Oman’s long-standing friendship rooted in historical, cultural, and economic ties. People-to-people contact between India and Oman can be traced back 5,000 years. Diplomatic relations were established in 1955, and the relationship was upgraded to Strategic Partnership in 2008.
The relationship remains on a firm footing at the bilateral level.
Over the years, India’s prime ministers have regularly visited Oman: Rajiv Gandhi (1985), PV Narasimha Rao (1993), Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998), Dr Manmohan Singh (2008). In 2018, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Oman marked a significant chapter in the bilateral relations between the two countries. [caption id=“attachment_13506822” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2018 trip saw two sides signed eight agreements including pacts on cooperation in the field of defence, health and tourism.[/caption] This visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik is of special significance as it marks the Sultanate of Oman’s Sultan’s first visit to India in over 25 years since the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’ visit in 1997. Defence Cooperation Oman is India’s closest defence partner in the Gulf region, and defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and Oman.
As per The Times of India, Modi has been looking forward to hosting the Sultan.
India’s NSA Ajit Doval delivered a message from the prime minister to the Sultan when he travelled to Oman in June. Oman granting India access to the Duqm port in the backdrop of a growing Chinese threat in the Indian Ocean region has proved invaluable. 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. Trade and Investment Economic ties are robust, with both nations engaging in significant trade and investment activities, especially in sectors like energy, infrastructure, and technology. Bilateral trade more than doubled from $5.4 billion in 2020-21 to $12.3 billion in 2022-23. There are over 6,000 India-Oman joint ventures in Oman, with an estimated investment of over $7.5 billion.
India is also planning a free trade pact with Oman that could see it benefit greatly.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsA report released on Tuesday revealed that over 83.5 per cent of Indian goods worth $3.7 billion such as gasoline, iron and steel, electronics, and machinery will get a significant boost in Oman once both sides reach a comprehensive free trade agreement. According to the - India-OMAN CEPA: Gateway to Middle Eastern Markets and Beyond - report, prepared by think-tank Global trade Reproach Initiative (GTRI), these goods currently face a five per cent import duty in Oman. India and Oman are negotiating a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), under which the two countries could significantly reduce or eliminate customs duties on the maximum number of goods agreed between them. [caption id=“attachment_13506842” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] India and Oman are negotiating a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) that could benefit both nations. ANI[/caption] With the new trade agreement, these products, including major export items like motor gasoline (exports worth $1.7 billion), iron and steel products (exports worth $235 million), electronics ($135 million), machinery ($125 million), aluminium oxide ($126 million), textiles ($110 million), alumina calcined ($105 million), plastics ($664 million), boneless meat ($50 million), essential oils ($47 million), and motor cars ($28 million), will benefit from duty elimination, it said. As source told Hindu Business Line, “The Commerce Department has begun negotiations with Oman on a bilateral CEPA and is simultaneously continuing its consultations with line-Ministries and other stakeholders to ensure that it gets the most out of the pact.” “The India-Oman CEPA, while offering direct economic benefits through import duty reductions, also serves a larger strategic role in India’s foreign policy. While acknowledging the limitations set by Oman’s smaller economic size and population, the agreement’s true value lies in its potential to open doors for India in the Middle East, fostering economic and strategic ties in a region of critical importance,” the report stated. Indian Diaspora Oman is home to a large and vibrant Indian expatriate community, playing a crucial role in Oman’s economic development and cultural diversity. The Indian diaspora in Oman has grown substantially, surpassing 700,000 individuals in the post-pandemic era. This vibrant community contributes to the socio-economic fabric of Oman across diverse sectors, including professionals such as doctors, engineers, chartered accountants, and healthcare professionals. Additionally, the diaspora includes a substantial presence of blue-collar workers. There are around 200 families of Indian merchants who have been living in Oman for the last 200-300 years, with some of them having taken Omani citizenship. Cultural Exchanges Cultural ties are reinforced through various exchanges, promoting understanding and appreciation of each other’s rich heritage, traditions, and values. Recently, the National Museum of Oman exhibited a collection of specially curated 20 works of art from the National Gallery of Modern Art collection. These are some of the iconic paintings by some of the renowned Indian artists like Raja Ravi Varma, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, and Amrita Sher-Gill. Health Health cooperation between India and Oman stands as a shining example of our collaborative efforts to enhance well-being and healthcare delivery. There are several Indian hospitals in Oman offering advanced medical care. Ayurveda is very popular in Oman, and there are more than 35 Ayurvedic hospitals and clinics. Yoga has found great resonance in Oman, particularly among local youth. G20 Given the strong relationship with Oman, India extended a special invitation to the Sultanate of Oman to participate in the G-20 Summit and meetings as a Guest country under India’s G20 Presidency. Oman actively participated in over 150 working group meetings, and 9 Ministers from Oman participated in various G20 Ministerial meetings. His Highness Sayyid Asaad, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and the Personal Representative of His Majesty the Sultan, represented Oman at the G20 Summit, affirming the Sultanate’s commitment to international collaboration. With inputs from agencies
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