Oman's Prime Minister, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, arrived in New Delhi on Friday to participate in the G20 Summit, which is being hosted by India under its Presidency on September 9-10. He was warmly welcomed at the airport by Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ashwini Kumar Choubey. The reception included a traditional Indian dance performance, adding a touch of cultural hospitality.
The G20 Leader's Summit is taking place in the national capital at the newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam. India took over the G20 presidency on December 1st of the previous year, and throughout this period, around 200 meetings related to G20 were organized across 60 cities in India. The 18th G20 Summit serves as a culmination of these extensive discussions and interactions held throughout the year, involving ministers, senior officials, and representatives from civil societies.
The summit will conclude with the adoption of a G20 Leaders' declaration, which will express the leaders' commitment to the priorities discussed and agreed upon during various ministerial and working group meetings.
India and Oman share a strategic partnership and have significant ties at international forums like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League, and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). Both nations share commonalities in geography, history, and culture, fostering warm and cordial relations.
Diplomatic relations between India and Oman were established in 1955, and in 2008, they were elevated to a Strategic Partnership. To further solidify this special friendship, India extended an invitation to Oman to participate in the G20 Summit and related meetings as a guest country during India's Presidency in 2023.
This relationship has witnessed several high-level visits and engagements in recent years. India's National Security Adviser (NSA), Ajit Doval, visited Oman in June, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a visit to Oman in 2018. Additionally, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Oman in 2019.
In March 2022, Oman's Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi, visited India, followed by a visit from Qais bin Mohammed al Yousef, Oman's Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion in May 2022. Demonstrating the commitment to bolster economic ties, a meeting of the India-Oman Joint Business Council (JBC) was jointly organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry on May 12, 2022.