Muscat: Prof Daya Reddy, President of the International Science Council (ISC) in France, praised His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’s technology and science policy. This came in a statement to ONA on the sidelines of the Ocean Economy and Future Technology Conference organised by International Forum Science and Technology Diplomacy (IFSTD), which concluded on Wednesday. Prof Reddy pointed out that the Sultanate will host the meeting of ISC General Assembly in 2021, which includes 140 countries and is considered a global voice of science, as this reflects the Sultanate’s serious interest in promoting science.
Dr Atsushi Sunami, President of the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said that there are many mutual interests between the Sultanate and Japan, especially in the ocean region, expressing his admiration over the economic environment in the Sultanate to attract foreign investment, making it an important partner for Japan in the Middle East.
“The Sultanate has an important position in the region and has excellent relations with all its neighbouring countries in particular and the rest of the world in general, which reflects the success of Oman’s diplomacy and foreign policy,” said William Colglazier, a scholar of science and diplomacy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Paul Arthur Berkman, Professor of Practice in Science Diplomacy and Director of the Science Diplomacy Center at Tufts University, praised the fact that “the Sultanate has no enemies” and is therefore a “special case” because it is located in the Middle East, a very difficult and complicated region, stressing that the conference reflects the spirit of responsibility and long-term vision of the Sultanate’s government in order to build a promising future for future generations.
Ernesto Fernandez, Head of Science Policy and Partnerships at Unesco, said that the Sultanate is one of the few countries in the world to have a scientific adviser to the Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, which he considered due to awareness about the importance of science and technology in development. Dr Gunter Pauli, author of The Blue Economy described the Sultanate as an “island of peace and stability.” “The Sultanate has great opportunities to invest in the blue economy,” he said in an exclusive interview with Oman News Agency (ONA). “48 years of stability is a crucial element that reflects the Sultanate’s pioneering role in the region as a mediator in resolving many global and regional issues.” — ONA
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