India-Oman Strategic Dialogue

India-Oman Strategic Dialogue

The eighth India-Oman strategic conversation took place in India, and both nations stressed the importance of working together to combat the threats posed by terrorism, terrorist propaganda, misuse of cyberspace, and new and emerging technology.

The highlight of the dialogue:

Numerous topics of shared interest were discussed, including bilateral strategic and security cooperation, defense, and regional security.

• The significance of maintaining maritime safety and security in the area was emphasized by both sides.
• The strategic conversation was emphasized by both parties as a key tool for fostering bilateral relations between India and Oman.
• Both parties emphasized the significant priority given by the leaders of both nations to advancing their strategic partnerships based on mutual respect and trust.
• The next session of the strategic conversation will take place in Oman in 2024, they both agreed.

India Oman relations:

• India's strategic partner Oman plays a key role in discussions in the Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC), Arab League, and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) fora.
• Geographically, historically, and culturally, India and Oman are connected, and they have good relations.
• Although official links between India and Oman were only established in 1955, people-to-people contact between the two countries dates back 5000 years.

Defense Relations:

Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC):

• The JMCC is the highest level of defense-related communication between India and Oman.
• With the most effective defense and security cooperation procedures, it is a crucial pillar of India's West Asia Policy.
• Both sides' defense ministers have visited each other on a regular basis.
• Army exercise: Al Najah
• Air Force exercise: Eastern Bridge
• Naval Exercise: Naseem Al Bahr

Economic and Commercial Relations:

• The expansion of economic and commercial ties between India and Oman is a top objective for both nations.
• The Indo-Oman Joint Commission Meeting(JCM), an institutional structure, reviews the economic cooperation between India and Oman
• India is one of Oman's biggest trading partners; in 2019–20, two-way commerce between the two countries reached $5.93 billion.
• In 2018, India was Oman's third-largest market for non-oil exports and third-largest source of imports (after the United Arab Emirates and China).
• India will surpass China as the second-largest market for Oman's crude oil exports in 2022.
• Mineral fuels and the products of their distillation, textiles, machinery, electrical goods, chemicals, iron and steel, tea, coffee, spices, rice, meat products, and seafood are among India's top exports.
• Urea, LNG, polypropylene, lubricating oil, dates, and chromite ore are a few of the main imports into India.
• There are over 6.2 lahks Indians living in Oman, of which 4.8 lakh are employed as workers and professionals. Indian families have been residing in Oman for between 150 and 200 years.

Cooperation on a cultural level:

Oman and India share a close cultural bond:

• By commemorating Indian national holidays, festivals, and the country's rich cultural diversity, the Indian Social Club and its different regional, linguistic, and athletic wings actively promote Indian culture in Oman.
• In Oman, especially among foreigners and young locals, yoga is highly popular.
• For the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth and the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev ji's birth, the Embassy hosted a variety of events in 2019.

What strategic importance does Oman have for India?

• Oman is near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, over which one-fifth of India's oil imports pass.
• One of the main pillars of the strong India-Oman strategic partnership has evolved as defence cooperation. A recently extended Framework MOU through 2021 governs defense exchanges.
• The Indian armed forces' three services regularly engage in staff meetings and bilateral exercises with Oman, the only other nation in the Gulf, fostering strong professional relationships and mutual trust.
• Additionally, Oman takes part actively in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).

Way Forward

In order to strengthen its strategic position in the area and provide more weight to its Indo-Pacific strategy in the western and southern Indian Ocean, India should also engage closely with Oman.