TEHRAN -- Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said arrived in Tehran on Sunday for a two-day visit focusing on economic relations between the two neighbors.
Haitham met Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi after he was warmly welcomed by Vice-President Muhammad Mokhber at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport upon arrival.
Raisi also welcomed the Sultan of Oman and his accompanying delegation during a formal reception ceremony at the Saadabad cultural complex in northern Tehran.
They held private discussions and oversaw the signing of four cooperation documents in the fields of economy, investment and energy.
“Iran-Oman relations have reached the investment stage from the commercial stage. The common views and approach of the two countries for strengthening the regional convergence, along with the capacities and suitable fields for each other, can expand relations between the two countries in the bilateral and regional arenas,” Raisi said.
The president listed the capacities of the two countries in industry, trade, communications, defense and security affairs, road and rail lines, maritime transport and transit, financial and monetary exchanges, and energy as suitable areas for expanding cooperation. He touched on negotiations held between the two sides for joint investment, stressing the need to finalize the establishment of a joint investment fund.
Raisi also pointed to the common positions of the two countries on the issues related to Yemen and Palestine and appreciated the role of Oman and especially the Sultan “Haitham bin Tariq” in trying to achieve the rights of the Yemeni people as well as the Palestinian people and called for the serious continuation of this role.
Sultan Haitham’s visit to Tehran marks a significant milestone in relations between the two regional allies, opening new avenues for closer diplomatic cooperation and increased dialogue.
Iran’s president traveled to Muscat on a key visit last May, during which Iranian and Omani officials signed 12 cooperation documents and memorandums of understanding for the expansion of bilateral cooperation in various fields.
The two-day visit by the Omani leader has been hailed by both sides as marking “a new chapter” in bilateral relations.
Jamal Razaghi, chairman of the Iranian side in the Omani-Iran Joint Business Council (OIJBC), said the Sultan of Oman’s meetings
with Iranian officials in Tehran would achieve the goals of the people of the two countries.
“I hope the meetings between the two leaders would open more opportunities in the fields of trade, scientific and medical cooperation between the two countries,” Razaghi told the Omani media.
“Iran aspires for increasing the size of the exchange of trade with Oman to $5 billion. This is possible as there are great opportunities for trade between the two countries. Iran does not view Oman as an economic market but as a vital strategic partner.”
He further said that boosting joint investments and setting well-established mechanisms for accelerating the executive procedures for investment would achieve sustainability of the trade relations.
“The joint investments and cooperation, currently witnessed by businessmen, is the result of the strong relationship set by the governments of both the countries during the past years,” the official said.
Mohsen Darabi, former president of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), said that the economic cooperation is one of the results of the strong relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“We hold great aspirations, mainly with the presence of economic agreements and vital border posts between the two countries. ICCIMA supports the Iranian and Omani companies in both countries and works to facilitate investments,” he was quoted as saying.
Ali Najafi Khoshroudi, ambassador of Iran to Oman, was quoted as saying by the Omani media that Sultan Haitham’s visit to Tehran and his meeting with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei “will foster an unprecedented level of partnership and cooperation between the two nations.”
Khoshroudi also praised the concerted efforts made to enhance air and sea connectivity between Oman and Iran, saying these “improvements are expected to have a significant impact on boosting trade and economic exchange between Tehran and Muscat.”
Apart from the economic point of view, the visit of the Sultan of Oman is also of great importance for the development of multilateral diplomatic relations and the strengthening of regional integration.
Sultan Haitham’s visit to Iran comes just one week after his trip to Egypt. The Sultan of Oman and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi met in Cairo to talk about “overall regional and international developments,” according to Oman’s official news agency.
In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume relations in a China-brokered deal. While the deal was finally reached in China, Oman and Iraq mediated the tension-easing negotiations for two years.