The Sultanate of Oman participated in the joint ministerial meeting between the GCC countries and the US, held in Manama on Thursday
The delegation of the Sultanate of Oman at the meeting was headed by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister.
The meeting was chaired by Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain. The gathering witnessed the attendance and participation of GCC Foreign Ministers; Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State; and the Secretary-General of the GCC.
The meeting addressed the prospects of the existing strategic partnership and ways to enhance it between the two sides across various economic, security and defence fields. This cooperation aims to contribute to achieving lasting peace and prosperity while supporting the pillars of security and stability.
The ministers exchanged views on the latest regional developments in the Gulf and the Middle East. They emphasised the importance of continuing and intensifying diplomatic endeavours to ensure the success of shared objectives in reaching final and sustainable peaceful solutions to all complex issues that trouble the countries of the region and threaten their security and stability.
In his statement, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, reiterated the Sultanate of Oman’s support for the memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran, emphasising the importance of successfully achieving its objectives in order to realise the desired peace.
He affirmed the Sultanate of Oman’s commitment to full and constructive engagement with various parties to drive this process forward.
Sayyid Badr also stressed the importance of restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring its safe flow. He pointed out that the Sultanate of Oman, as a littoral state of the Strait, assumes a special responsibility in supporting international efforts aimed at securing maritime navigation, in accordance with its responsibilities and obligations under international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Furthermore, he affirmed that future arrangements related to the Strait do not entail the imposition of any transit fees.
The meeting was attended by Sayyid Faisal bin Harib al Busaidy, Ambassador of Oman to Bahrain; Shaikh Ahmed bin Hashil al Maskari, Head of the GCC Department at the Foreign Ministry; and a number of officials from the Foreign Ministry. — ONA
