By IANS
New Delhi : India is set to enhance political and economic ties with Oman, the oil-rich Gulf state home to 400,000 Indian workers, during Omani Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmood al-Said’s four-day visit here beginning Wednesday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet the Omani deputy prime minister Friday for talks on a wide range of bilateral and global issues including the intensification of economic and energy ties between the two countries.
Manmohan Singh will take up the issue of the welfare of Indian workers, the largest expatriate group in the country, with the Omani leader.
However, a crucial pact on signing a manpower and labour agreement which would have brought much-needed relief to Indian workers in the Gulf country is likely to be deferred due to some last-minute differences on the issue, official sources said. The pact was to be signed during the visit.
The proposed memorandum of understanding (MoU) aims at regulating the flow of labour from India to Oman and setting up a working group to address a clutch of issues relating to the working conditions of Indians in that country.
Two pacts on setting up an institute of plastic technology and a training centre of developing entrepreneurship in Oman are likely to be signed during the visit.
The two countries are in the process of finalising several MoUs and agreements, including a mutual legal assistance treaty in civil and criminal matters, educational exchange programmes, labour, employment and manpower, mutual exemption of visa on diplomatic, special and official passports.
Around 20 top business leaders and senior ministers are accompanying the Omani leader to India to underline the focus on strengthening trade and investment between the two countries.
Oil and gas, IT, hospitality sector and tourism have been identified as key areas of business interest between the two countries.
The two sides are also mulling an investment fund to realise the full economic potential of their relations.
The Oman-India Fertiliser Company is New Delhi’s largest joint venture outside the country.
India-Oman bilateral trade touched $1 billion last year. Bilateral trade is expected to cross $1.4 billion this year. More than 100 Indian companies have set up shop in Oman. Nearly 25 Omani companies have established their presence in India.
Early this month, India and Oman, a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, decided to reinforce economic ties with enhanced defence cooperation during the visit of Defence Secretary Vijay Singh to the Gulf country.