Sunday 18 / May / 2025
Tehran: Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, emphasised the paramount importance of dialogue as an essential instrument for addressing challenges, while highlighting the Sultanate of Oman’s unwavering commitment to this indispensable approach - regardless of its complexity - even with parties with whom significant differences may exist.
This was stated during Sayyid Badr’s address at the Fourth Tehran Dialogue Forum, convened under the patronage of President Masoud Pezeshkian of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The forum brought together foreign ministers, senior government officials, policymakers, and thought leaders from across the globe, alongside representatives of regional and international organisations.
The Foreign Minister reaffirmed the importance that the Sultanate of Oman attaches to its existing bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, while simultaneously commending the flexibility, precision, and candour that the Iranian counterpart brings to Oman’s contributions in regional and international dialogues.
Sayyid Badr particularly focused on the Palestinian cause, describing the violence and genocide endured by the Palestinian people as “a global tragedy that should never have occurred” - one that could have been prevented had opportunities for dialogue been seized. This remark referenced both the refusal of successive Israeli governments to engage in substantive dialogue with the Palestinian side and the international community’s failure to exercise effective influence.
Flexible approach
He expressed optimism regarding developments emerging in recent months, particularly from the United States of America, which may indicate a shift toward a more realistic and flexible approach regarding potential dialogue partners.
The minister noted that this development, though occurring amidst military escalation and immense humanitarian suffering, suggests a renewed willingness for genuine dialogue - even as Tel Aviv continues attempts to circumvent it through escalation on multiple fronts.
Sayyid Badr emphasised that while dialogue is not an easy option, it remains the only viable path to achieving a just settlement. He cited what he termed “the horrific lesson” embodied by the Gaza tragedy when courage to engage in dialogue is absent.
The minister expressed hope that this Tehran forum would help attract more voices advocating dialogue and strengthen the international community’s conviction that solutions are built not through force but through understanding and openness.
The current session of the forum examined the role of regional states in the evolving global order, reviewing key shared challenges in political, economic and energy domains, while exploring ways to enhance multilateral cooperation mechanisms for addressing international crises amid rapid geopolitical transformations. -ONA
