Two agreements have been signed between the Maldives and Oman, as part of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdulla Khaleel's ongoing official visit to Oman.
The signing ceremony took place following a meeting between Minister Khaleel and his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi. The agreements signed between the two countries include the Agreement on Mutual Visa Exemption for Holders of Diplomatic, Special, Service, and Official Passports and the Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations. Currently, Maldivians can travel to Oman without a visa only under specific conditions, such as holding a visa for certain countries.
The Foreign Ministry said the Minister Khaleel's meeting with the Omani Foreign Minister discussed the possibility of facilitating visa-free travel to Oman for the general Maldivian public. The Ministry disclosed that the request had been officially submitted to the Omani government.
The two Ministers also discussed the possibility of convening the first round of political consultations between the Maldives and Oman at a mutually convenient time. They engaged in wide-ranging discussions focused on strengthening the existing bilateral partnership between the Maldives and Oman that spans over four decades and explored avenues for enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including trade, tourism, education, and investment promotion.
As part of his visit, Minister Khaleel also held discussions with Oman's Finance Minister Sultan bin Salim bin Saeed Al Habsi, on investment opportunities in the Maldives. During the call, the Maldives' development policies as well as investment opportunities were discussed, in addition to discussions on strengthening bilateral relations.
Minister Dr Khaleel also met with Sayyed Asaad bin Tariq Al Said, Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and Special Representative of the country's Sultan. During the meeting, Minister Khaleel expressed appreciation for the strong and enduring ties between the Maldives and Oman and conveyed gratitude for Oman’s generous assistance to the Maldives over the years, especially during times of crisis. Additionally, views on deepening economic cooperation in areas of mutual interest, in particular through investment, trade, tourism, and fisheries which will elevate bilateral partnership to new heights, were also discussed.