Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, affirmed that the Sultanate of Oman continues its diplomatic efforts to enhance security and stability in the Gulf region. This is pursued by facilitating dialogue between parties, working towards the resolution of conflicts, building trust, and advocating for the establishment of a comprehensive regional security framework that includes all states bordering the Gulf.
This came during a lecture delivered on Monday by Sayyid Badr at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, titled 'Comprehensive Security in the Gulf,' which was attended by diplomats, experts, and academics specialising in foreign policy.
The minister said that the Sultanate of Oman — which maintains peaceful relations with all its neighbours — bases its policy on the recognition that its own security is contingent upon the security of its regional environment. This understanding drives Oman to persist in its outreach to countries in the region, aiming to settle disputes, preserve peace, and expand its reach.
Sayyid Badr also highlighted Oman’s role in facilitating negotiations between the United States and Iran over the past two years, which sought to reach a settlement regarding Iran’s nuclear file and end decades of hostility between the two nations. He noted that, in Oman’s view, the negotiations had achieved significant progress and that reaching an agreement had been within the grasp of both parties.
He highlighted the efforts made by the Sultanate of Oman — through high-level talks and technical consultations with Iran — to establish interim arrangements aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. He emphasised that the implementation of such arrangements requires a practical understanding between Iran and the United States, as well as a willingness from both sides to make concessions.
He further said that recent negotiating experiences underscore the importance of regional states taking responsibility for their own security, rather than relying excessively on external powers. He called for the initiation of a new regional dialogue — involving the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Iraq, and Iran — to build a security framework rooted in cooperation and mutual trust.
Sayyid Badr pointed to an initiative that took place in Muscat in 1976, when the foreign ministers of the eight states bordering the Gulf met to discuss collective security arrangements. He suggested that reviving the ambition behind that initiative offers an opportunity to launch a more inclusive regional process to address current challenges.
The minister affirmed that the Sultanate of Oman advocates for a non-aggression pact among these eight states as a fundamental step towards establishing sustainable regional security. He stressed that external partnerships should evolve into major economic investments within these eight nations, serving a supportive role while prioritising the collective responsibility of the regional states themselves to design, develop, and implement their own security arrangements. - ONA
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