By IANS
New Delhi : India and Oman, the Gulf state which is home to 400,000 Indian workers, are poised to upgrade their ties to strategic partnership and enhance trade and investment in diverse areas, including IT, hydrocarbons, infrastructure and petrochemicals.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is currently on a two-day visit to Oman, met Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahad bin Mahmood al-Said and his Omani counterpart Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah in Muscat and discussed with them an entire range of bilateral, regional and global issues.
In his meeting, Mukherjee stated that India and Oman share the desire to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic partnership in all areas, the external affairs ministry said in a statement here Monday.
The minister also welcomed Omani participation in investment in India, particularly in the field of infrastructure and petrochemicals, the ministry said.
The two sides explored possibilities of enhanced cooperation in diverse sectors, including education, IT, telecommunications, hydrocarbons, labour and manpower, regional security and stability, agriculture and science and technology.
The minister underlined the importance of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), of which Oman is a member, for India and discussed regional and international issues with Omani leaders, including the Middle East peace process, regional security, counter-terrorism and the situation in Pakistan.
The two sides also discussed setting up of a $100 million fund that envisages investment in areas like education, IT, telecommunications and science and technology in both countries.
The meeting also reviewed the decisions taken during the Omani deputy prime minister’s visit to India in December last year.
Four agreements were signed during the deputy prime minister’s visit to India to increase cooperation in the growth of small and medium enterprises, entrepreneurship and higher education.
The two sides also engaged in renewed discussions on a crucial pact on signing manpower and labour agreement, which could bring much-needed relief to Indian workers in the Gulf country.