Duqm Port in Oman is vital for India's logistics, especially in humanitarian aid, says Foreign Secretary Kwatra

Vinay Kwatra, while addressing the special briefing on the visit of the Sultan of Oman to India, said India and Oman's cooperation on Maritime space is quite extensive and both leaders identified humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and disaster management as important areas of cooperation.

New Delhi: Duqm Port in Oman provides a logistical base for India in the field of maritime cooperation including humanitarian disaster relief, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Saturday.

Addressing the special briefing on the visit of the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik to India, Vinay Kwatra said, "Our cooperation on Maritime space is quite extensive. Both leaders identified humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and disaster management as important areas of cooperation. One of the key elements in Maritime cooperation is the question of logistics.

"Duqm Port provides us a logistical base for cooperation both in the field of maritime cooperation including humanitarian disaster relief", the Foreign Secretary added. Duqm Port is easily accessible to the shipping lines catering to the Indian as well as the African markets. Access to the Duqm Port holds strategic purposes for India as Duqm Port overlooks the Gulf of Oman, the Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea. India gained access to the Duqm Port in 2018 after the visit of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik, and held bilateral talks. Foreign Minister Vinay Kwatra told reporters that the discussion between the leaders was comprehensive and constructive including maritime, shared concern on terrorism, green energy security cooperation, people to people-to-people ties through cricket.

"Oman's Sultan congratulated PM Modi for a successful G20. The two leaders adopted the India-Oman joint vision for bilateral engagement under Oman 2040 and PM Modi’s 'Amrit kal vision'.Vision Document focuses on building a partnership in Maritime, energy security, green energy, space, digital payment, full bucket of health tourism, disaster management, agriculture and food security and cricket", he said.

There have been ongoing discussions between the two countries for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Although the negotiations on CEPA have started only recently, they have made substantial progress in the last few rounds of discussion and both leaders gave strong impetus and push to conclude the CEPA agreement as early as possible.

Both countries signed an MoU in Information and Technology, culture, combating financial crime, and Hindi chair ICCR in Oman. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had visited Oman in February 2018 in his first visit to Oman as Prime Minister. Oman is the closest neighbour in the Arabian Gulf region. During the meeting today, both leaders discussed the West Asia crisis and emphasized the two-state solution to the Palestine conflict.