Jaishankar, Oman foreign minister vow to deepen defence, economic ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi on Wednesday, vowing to deepen cooperation in combating the coronavirus pandemic, and strengthen ties in the defence and economic sectors. In their virtual meeting, the ministers had extensive discussions on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Jaishankar conveyed greetings on the occasion of 50th national day of Oman's modern renaissance, and thanked the foreign minister and the government for support to the Indian community and excellent cooperation during COVID-19. Both sides agreed to continue working closely to address the ongoing challenges emanating from the pandemic, the MEA said.

Jaishankar and Albusaidi reviewed cooperation in key areas of India-Oman strategic partnership in defence and security, economic cooperation, capacity building and training, consular issues and people-to-people ties. They noted the huge potential for expanding economic partnership, given the strong complementarities between the two economies, the MEA said. The leaders emphasised the importance of health and food security in the coming times, and the ability of the partnership of both countries to address them, it said.

The ministers exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues, and agreed to maintain close cooperation in multilateral fora. During the talks, Jaishankar appreciated Oman's gesture of establishing Oman-India Friendship Association.

Earlier, Jaishankar tweeted: "Pleased to connect with Omani FM @badralbusaidi. Appreciated the care taken of the Indian community during COVID-19. Discussed bilateral cooperation including health security and food security. Exchanged views on regional and international issues." PTI UZM/ASK HMB.