NEW DELHI: In the first high-profile visit by an Arab leader to India since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik, will be hosted by PM Narendra Modi in the middle of this month. Oman is India’s closest defence partner in the Arabian Gulf, and also a key Indian Ocean maritime security partner which has allowed the Indian Navy access to the strategic Port of Duqm, but the visit will draw attention also for the sultan’s talks with Modi on the West Asia situation.
Modi has been keen on hosting the sultan and NSA Ajit Doval had delivered a message from the PM to Tarik when he travelled to Muscat in June this year. The sultan, who lands here on December 16, will hope to use the visit to make up for his absence at the G20 summit, where Oman, India’s oldest strategic partner in the region, was one of the guest countries invited by India.
India has been in touch with Oman over the issue with foreign minister S Jaishankar having spoken to his counterpart Badr Albusaidi in October. The Oman minister had sought an immediate ceasefire during the conversation, along with continued supplies of humanitarian aid and respect for international law to save civilian lives.
While strongly condemning the October 7 Hamas terror attacks, India has been careful not to antagonise its Arab partners by expressing support for international humanitarian law, the two-state solution and by condemning the deaths of civilians.
With defence cooperation emerging as the key pillar of its strategic partnership with Oman, the Indian government sees the Sultanate as its closest defence partner in the region. Oman was the first Gulf country to hold joint exercises with all 3 wings of the Indian armed forces. Of particular significance to India has been the access Oman has allowed India to the strategically located Duqm port in the southeast, amid growing Chinese footprints in the Indian Ocean. There’s also a strong presence of the Indian community in Oman with close to 700,000 Indian nationals living there.
Modi has been keen on hosting the sultan and NSA Ajit Doval had delivered a message from the PM to Tarik when he travelled to Muscat in June this year. The sultan, who lands here on December 16, will hope to use the visit to make up for his absence at the G20 summit, where Oman, India’s oldest strategic partner in the region, was one of the guest countries invited by India.
India has been in touch with Oman over the issue with foreign minister S Jaishankar having spoken to his counterpart Badr Albusaidi in October. The Oman minister had sought an immediate ceasefire during the conversation, along with continued supplies of humanitarian aid and respect for international law to save civilian lives.
While strongly condemning the October 7 Hamas terror attacks, India has been careful not to antagonise its Arab partners by expressing support for international humanitarian law, the two-state solution and by condemning the deaths of civilians.
With defence cooperation emerging as the key pillar of its strategic partnership with Oman, the Indian government sees the Sultanate as its closest defence partner in the region. Oman was the first Gulf country to hold joint exercises with all 3 wings of the Indian armed forces. Of particular significance to India has been the access Oman has allowed India to the strategically located Duqm port in the southeast, amid growing Chinese footprints in the Indian Ocean. There’s also a strong presence of the Indian community in Oman with close to 700,000 Indian nationals living there.
