New Delhi: Oman’s Ambassador to India Issa Saleh Abdullah Saleh Alshibani on Wednesday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Oman “important and strategic” and stated that it gives a strong signal towards the bilateral relations between both nations.
In an interview with IANS, Alshibani stated that PM Modi’s visit to Oman will boost the confidence of businesses in terms of looking at Oman as a destination.
When asked about the importance of PM Modi’s visit to Oman, he said, “It’s very important, very strategic. It also serves so much for the purpose of our event today. It gives a strong signal to businesses of the depth and strong relationship that Oman and India enjoy, and also, it will boost the confidence of businesses in terms of looking at Oman as a destination.”
As per reports, PM Modi is set to travel to Oman later this month. This will be PM Modi’s second visit to Oman. PM Modi was on a state visit to Oman in February 2018, where he met then-Sultan Qaboos bin Said and both sides discussed bilateral, regional and global issues of common interest, according to the Indian Embassy in Oman.
Alshibani said that Oman was happy to see an Indian man coming back to his family after remaining in Houthi captivity for months and noted that his country has been playing a humanitarian role for many years.
When asked about the Kerala man being released from Houthi captivity and India thanking Oman, Issa Saleh Abdullah Saleh Alshibani responded, “Well, I think we were first happy to see the man coming back to his family, and I think Oman has been playing a humanitarian role. It has gained the trust of countries in the neighbourhood and worldwide, and I think Oman is utilising that trust, that friendship that it enjoys to conduct such humanitarian assistance wherever it is needed.”
On December 4, India welcomed the release of Indian crew member Anilkumar Raveendran, an Army veteran from Kayamkulam in Kerala who had been held captive by Houthi rebels in conflict-ravaged Yemen. In the statement, India had thanked Oman for facilitating the release of Raveendran.
Raveendran, 52, a native of Pathiyoor, had been detained by security forces under the Houthi-controlled Yemeni administration since July 7. He was working as a security officer aboard the Liberian-flagged cargo vessel MV Eternity C when it was attacked and eventually sunk in the Red Sea.
When asked about the recent cricket match between India and Oman and whether people in Oman love cricket, Issa Saleh Abdullah Saleh Alshibani responded, “Well, in Oman, they do love all kinds of sports and cricket, no doubt, has its fans in Oman. It’s a growing sport that we have seen. Football used to be the dominant sport in Oman. But we have seen now that all kinds of sports are growing in Oman, and we have seen people playing in all sorts of sports. But also, it shows the depth of people-to-people relations. We understand how cricket is very important, very favourable within the Indian community, and I’m pleased to see that some of the interest is growing in Oman in terms of cricket.”
(IANS)
