India Gulf Diplomacy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is getting ready for a go to to Oman subsequent week. The journey carries weight far past protocol. For greater than seven many years, Muscat has stood beside India as one in all its closest and most reliable Muslim companions in West Asia. Its management has typically spoken up for India even on troublesome international platforms, particularly on points linked to terrorism, incomes it a novel place amongst India’s buddies within the area.
A Go to That Pakistan Is Watching Intently
Officers monitoring regional politics imagine this go to won’t go unnoticed in Islamabad. Oman has all the time maintained a robust and constant relationship with New Delhi, and its cooperation with India has grown remarkably throughout defence, commerce and vitality.
Folks conversant in the lengthy arc of India-Oman ties name this relationship one of the crucial enduring within the Gulf.
Marking 70 Years Of Diplomatic Ties
Based on an ET report, the prime minister will journey to Muscat to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between the 2 international locations. The go to comes nearly two years after Oman’s ruler, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, made his first state go to to New Delhi in December 2023.
His journey set the stage for deeper engagement, and PM Modi’s arrival is predicted to push that momentum ahead.
A Gateway Granted To The Indian Navy
Oman has persistently proven a stage of belief that India hardly ever receives from some other nation within the area. It’s the solely Muslim-majority nation that overtly backed India through the 1971 battle with Pakistan.
Defence cooperation has grown steadily ever since. An official conscious of army exchanges mentioned Oman was the primary Gulf nation to carry joint workouts with all three Indian companies.
The bond strengthened additional when Oman allowed the Indian Navy entry to its Duqm port on the Indian Ocean. This single determination has given India a logistical foothold in West Asia, increasing its maritime presence and strengthening naval operations throughout a area important to international commerce.
A Muslim Nation That Has Persistently Backed India
There may be now a robust Indian-origin group woven into Omani society, with many holding positions of affect and duty. Muscat has all the time maintained a pleasant voice for India even throughout the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), particularly on the problems associated to terrorism.
Diplomats see this as a uncommon and significant gesture in a area the place political alignments typically change shortly.
Financial Partnership Set For A New Raise-Off
Consultants say Modi’s go to might clear the trail for the long-discussed Complete Financial Partnership Settlement (CEPA). Such a pact would give bilateral commerce a agency and predictable framework.
Numbers shared by the Indian Embassy in Muscat present how briskly the industrial relationship is already rising. Bilateral commerce, which stood at USD 8.95 billion in 2023-24, climbed to USD 10.61 billion in 2024-25. Officers count on the upward development to proceed as funding and vitality cooperation additional strengthen.