'India assures joint actions'

MUSCAT, DEC 18

Both India and the Sultanate of Oman are two countries connected by various cords of diplomacy, friendship, culture, and geography, as well as people-to-people contacts and India stands steadfast in its resolve on various fronts with Oman, this was stated by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who was in Muscat on a two-day visit while addressing the Indian diaspora in Oman at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) on Thursday.

"We have a lot to do together in various sectors, especially at a time when we celebrate the 70th anniversary of establishing our bilateral relations. We assure to work together," he said to the packed audience, which included students representing nearly 20 Indian schools in the Sultanate of Oman.

At the meeting, which Modi described as the India-Oman Friendship or 'Maitri Festival', meaning friendship, he said that the friendship between the two countries is a celebration of our history and mutual future.

"India and Oman have had an intimate and vibrant relationship for centuries. The Indian Ocean monsoon has shaped trade between the two countries," he added.

He described the more than 675,000 Indians in the Sultanate of Oman as people who have a greater role to play in the progress of the country of birth as well as the country of their choice. They continue to make significant contributions to the development of both nations.

He remembered that the mutual bonds began some 5,000 years ago when people traveled and traded between Mandvi and Muscat. In order to commemorate the time-tested relations, India and Oman launched a year-long celebration of 70 years of diplomatic relations last year.

India and Oman share a history of trade, commerce, and strong people-to-people ties spanning centuries. This relationship was formally institutionalized with the establishment of the first Indian Consulate in Muscat in February 1955. The Indian Consulate was later upgraded to a Consulate General in 1960 and then to an Embassy in 1971. Oman reciprocated by opening its Embassy in New Delhi in 1972 and a Consulate General in Mumbai in 1976, reinforcing the depth and breadth of the bilateral engagement.