Persian Gulf Region Past Stage of Mere Dialogue

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the Persian Gulf region has now passed through the stage of mere dialogue and has entered the phase of multiple and multilateral collaborations. 
He made the remarks to reporters after a meeting with Oman’s top diplomat Badr Albusaidi in Muscat on Wednesday, according to ISNA. 
The foreign minister arrived in Oman on Tuesday evening as part of a tour of Persian Gulf Arab countries after visiting Qatar. 
He pointed to an initiative put forward by the United Nations Secretary-General last September in New York about a ministerial meeting of the eight Persian Gulf countries, saying that he and his Omani and Qatari counterparts agree that such processes can lead to closer cooperation among the littoral states. 
The foreign minister appreciated initiatives by Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq for promoting peace, stability and cooperation in the region. 
Wednesday discussions with the Omani foreign minister covered a range of topics, including cooperation in economic, trade, transit, energy, science and technology and tourism sectors, according to Amir-Abdollahian. 
“We agreed to hold the meeting of the two countries’ economic commissions in the near future,” he said. 
Albusaidi also told reporters that the talks centered on implementing agreements reached during the Omani Sultan’s recent visit to Tehran. 
“We are trying to put mutual agreements into operation, while there are also documents of various types that we intend to sign in the future,” he said. 
He expressed hope that these memorandums of understanding will serve the interests of both states and improve the welfare of the two nations. 
The diplomats also discussed the latest developments in the region and the world, according to Albusaidi, over which the two sides are in agreement.
 “We intend to play a positive role in promoting peace and security in the region through bilateral cooperation.” 
The Iranian foreign minister left Muscat for Kuwait on Wednesday evening on the next leg of his tour, and is set to visit the United Arab Emirates later.