OMAN-INDIA TIES, ACROSS SEA AND SPACE

Foreign Policy: ‘Mutual Trust and Shared Values’ While Oman has distinguished itself as a player in maintaining strong working relationships with countries across the world, and the Middle East in particular, India follows a policy of non-alignment and friendly relations with all nations. This means both countries share a common policy characterised by independence, pragmatism and moderation. They are also based on purposeful and proactive principles.

In recent years, India has pursued a foreign policy that encompasses the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy embodied by SAARC as well as the ‘Look East’ policy to forge more extensive economic and strategic relationships with other East Asian countries. Moreover, India was one of the founding members of several international organizations—the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, New Development BRICS Bank, and G-20, widely considered the main economic locus of emerging and developed nations.

For Oman, its stable and consistent foreign relations, based on the principles of neutrality, non-interference, and mediation, as outlined by the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, has made the country stand out among other global and regional powers. This was evident in the speech of His Majesty Sultan Haitham after the passing of Sultan Qaboos, when he affirmed: “We will follow the same line as the late Sultan, and the principles that he asserted for the foreign policy of our country, of peaceful coexistence among nations and people, and good neighbourly behaviour of non-interference in the affairs of others.” The principles upon which Omani foreign policy is based are basic precepts that are intimately linked to the country’s history, traditions, geographical location, and its relations with other countries. Since the beginning of Oman’s Renaissance, the Sultanate set about building bridges by extending the hand of friendship, while making determined efforts to play its part in making a better life for the region and the world: The Sultanate of Oman follows the path of dialogue and encourages it. My country’s government supports the values of tolerance, collective action and peaceful coexistence with all. We believe in the principles of justice, equality, good neighbourliness, the rule of law and non-interference in the internal affairs of others. We stress the peaceful settlement of disputes, based on the rules and principles of the UN Charter and international law, as an obligation that we all should honour.2 Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, Oman During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Sultanate in 2 Oman Daily Observer. (2020, September 2).

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