Manama — The Sultanate of Oman participated today in the joint ministerial meeting between the GCC countries and the United States of America (USA), held in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The delegation of the Sultanate of Oman at the meeting was headed by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister.
The meeting was chaired by Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain and Chairman of the current session of the Ministerial Council. 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 defense 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 emphasized the importance of continuing and intensifying diplomatic endeavors 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.
Furthermore, they affirmed the necessity of respecting the principles of international law, the sovereignty of states, and non-interference in their internal affairs. This approach aims to enhance the prospects for security, stability, peaceful coexistence, and good neighborliness, while safeguarding the interests of the peoples of the region.
In his statement, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, reiterated the Sultanate of Oman’s support for the memorandum of understanding signed between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran, emphasizing the importance of successfully achieving its objectives in order to realize the desired peace. He affirmed the Sultanate of Oman’s commitment to full and constructive engagement with various parties to drive this process forward.
The Foreign Minister 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 Hareb Al Busaidi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Kingdom of Bahrain; Sheikh Ahmed bin Hashel Al Maskari, Head of the GCC Department at the Foreign Ministry; and a number of officials from the Foreign Ministry.
