Iran, Oman Sign Host of Agreements to Uplift Ties

Iran and Oman signed eight memorandums of understanding and four cooperation agreements during President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Muscat at the head of a high-ranking delegation on Monday. 
The agreements were signed in sectors including energy, politics, transport, diplomatic cooperation, economic and trade ties, science, environment and sports. 
Iranian ministers of foreign affairs, industry, mine and trade, oil, road and urban development and head of Iran trade promotion organization, who accompanied the president, inked the deals in meetings with their Omani counterparts, President.ir reported.  
A key meeting was between Rostam Qasemi, Iran’s minister of roads and urban development and Said Hamoud Al Ma’awali, Oman’s minister of transport, communications and information technology, where the two sides discussed activating agreements of maritime affairs, connecting ports and boosting air traffic between the two countries, according to the Times of Oman. 
They also reviewed prospects for future developments in the two-way trade between Oman and Iran.
Oil Minister Javad Owji and his Omani counterpart also agreed to form a committee to jointly develop the Hengam oilfield, which straddles both countries’ sea border.
“As the first basis of my talks with Omani Oil Minister Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Rumhi, it was agreed to form a joint technical committee to develop the next phases of the Hengam oil field in a seamless manner between Iran and Oman,” Owji was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency. 
Tehran and Muscat had signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop the Hengam oil field in 2005, but the agreement did not materialize and Iran decided to develop the field independently in 2012.
The ministers also reached agreements on the export of technical and engineering services from Iran to Oman, as well as the trade of oil and petrochemical products. 

Regional Dialogue 

Raisi arrived in Oman on Monday morning for a one-day trip aimed at expanding bilateral relations. 
He told reporters upon departure that this trip is of great importance in terms of his administration’s policy of boosting ties with neighboring and regional countries. 
“In my negotiations, I will pursue the expansion of bilateral and regional relations,” he said, President.ir reported.
The current level of relations between Tehran and Muscat is not favorable for either country, according to Raisi, and both counties are determined to improve the level of ties in various sectors, including trade, transport, energy and tourism, especially health tourism. 
He expressed hope that this trip would be an effective step toward the fulfillment of his government’s policies with regard to strengthening constructive relations with neighbors.
Raisi also stressed that dialogue and cooperation among regional countries can promote security, while the presence of foreign forces in the region does not provide security and can even be a threat. 
The president’s visit came at the invitation of Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq al-Said. A bilateral meeting with the Sultan, signing several memorandums of understanding, meeting with Iranian expatriates in Oman as well as Omani merchants and businesspeople were among items on Raisi’s agenda. 
A 50-strong delegation of Iranian businesspeople had also traveled to Oman last week as part of plans to prepare the ground for the expansion of economic and trade ties between Tehran and Muscat.