Relations at new heights, says Indian minister

Bilateral relations between Oman and India have scaled to new heights, and there is potential for more partnerships in all the priority areas

that are identified in Oman’s Vision 2040.

“The historically close bilateral relations between our two countries have today expanded into a vibrant, multi-faceted strategic partnership, which is based on shared values and mutual trust,” said V Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs of India, in an interview to the Observer, on Wednesday.

Both countries have identified several new areas of cooperation such as IT, space, mining, logistics, food security and tourism, where there are strong complementarities and huge potential to work together, the minister who is on two-day visit to the Sultanate, said.

While extending warm wishes and greetings to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik on behalf of Indian leadership, the minister reiterated the Indian government’s resolve to work together for further enhancing bilateral relations.

He expressed India’s willingness to be a strong partner in all the priority areas identified in Oman’s Vision 2040 and its desire to become a knowledge economy.

“We can also support Oman’s capacity building efforts through our ITEC programme. Omani companies can benefit from India’s growth. We consider Oman to be an important partner in our campaign for a self-reliant India – Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” he said.

According to him, the relationship between the two countries received added momentum following the visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2018 and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar in December 2019.

With regard to his meeting with Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, he said it was very warm and productive.

“We reviewed our cooperation and agreed on the next steps to further enhance our relations. I have also had very constructive and positive meetings with other ministers as well. In all my meetings, I have sensed a strong desire on both sides to be true partners and engage deeply. This is particularly important as we prepare to work together on new areas of cooperation in a post COVID-19 era,” the minister said.

COOPERATION

As regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister said that the effectiveness of the Omani response is reflected in high recovery rate and relatively low mortality rate. The pandemic has demonstrated the depth and resilience of India-Oman relationship.

While expressing the government of India’s gratitude to the leadership in Oman for taking care of the Indian diaspora during the pandemic and extending excellent cooperation to the embassy, he said, “Both our countries cooperated in repatriation of respective citizens. India facilitated the return of many healthcare workers from India to Oman.”

During the peak lockdown period, India remained a reliable supplier of essential commodities for Oman. India has shouldered its global responsibility of fighting the pandemic and emerged as a pharmacy of the world.

“We supplied essential medicines to more than 150 countries. We look forward to enhanced cooperation in healthcare and other priority areas in the post-COVID19 era,” he said.

INDIAN COMMUNITY

The seminal role played by Indian community in Oman is acknowledged and appreciated by the government and people of Oman and has helped create a strong bond of friendship between both the countries.

“People-to-people ties provide the foundation for India-Oman strategic partnership. We deeply appreciate the support the government of Oman has provided to the Indian community during COVID-19,” he said, adding that he would be interacting with representatives of Indian community in Oman as well as members of the newly-established Oman-India Friendship Association.

Referring to his visit to the Sultanate, Muraleedharan said Oman is like a second home for many Indian nationals, full of warmth and friendship.

“While I have visited Oman earlier, I was very keen to visit this beautiful country again in my official capacity. Oman is the first country I am visiting since the outbreak of COVID-19. This reflects the importance India attaches to its strategic partnership with Oman,” he said.

AIR BUBBLE

Regarding the steps being taken to help the Indians who are returning home, the minister said that the government of India attaches the highest priority to the welfare of its citizens abroad. The Vande Bharat Mission is the largest repatriation exercise ever undertaken by any country in the world. We are grateful to the government of Oman for its support and cooperation in organising Vande Bharat flights from Oman.

“We now have an Air Bubble Agreement in place since October 1. The number of flights under this agreement are operated based on mutual agreement between the civil aviation authorities,” he said.

The government is aware of the surge in demand as a result of the exit scheme announced by the Omani government.

“We had proposed to Omani side to increase the number of flights and I am happy to note that an agreement was reached to increase the number of weekly seats by 20 per cent. We remain open to further increases and civil aviation authorities of both countries are engaged in a discussion in this regard,” he said.

While welcoming the steps by the Omani government in easing the visa rules for Indian nationals, the minister said, “This will certainly help attract more tourists from India to this beautiful country, promote business linkages and further strengthen people-to-people ties.”

VOTING RIGHTS

Answering a question on the push for postal voting rights in India, Muraleedharan said that the government of India remains closely engaged with the Election Commission of India and all other stakeholders regarding the options and modalities that would enable Non-resident Indians to participate in India’s democratic processes.

Several options have been considered, including extending the coverage of electronically transmitted postal ballot system to NRIs and the proxy voting. These proposals require careful consideration and all aspects are being discussed in detail.

“At this stage, I can only say that the government remains committed to the welfare of Indian citizens abroad and enabling their participation in India’s democratic processes,” he added.