Friday 19 / April / 2024
Muscat: Oman’s conviction in the institution of peace and its pursuits of requisites of peace — as it develops relations and stances from different parties in the world — has led to the expansion of these relations and friendships at various GCC, Arab, regional and global levels.
These parties include the GCC, the Arab League, the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation IOR-ARC, the United Nations (UN) and its affiliate organisations and agencies.
The lack of any ideological or political disputes between the Sultanate and any other party is a major factor in the growth of Oman’s relations with all.
This adds to the Sultanate’s practical application of the method of peace since it never hesitates in exerting its benign efforts to participate in resolving any disputes or conflicts between two or more parties, particularly when the disputing parties request that from the Sultanate.
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Oman never imposes itself on anyone, neither does it seek to play an undesirable role in any problems or disputes within the region or abroad because it respects the uniqueness of others.
In the meantime, the Sultanate does not wish to publicise the efforts it undertakes for the sake of others unless they themselves announce these efforts.
Most importantly, the Sultanate does not market the efforts it makes in favour of others, neither does it exploit these efforts in return for any favour or any agenda. This made others trust the credibility of the Sultanate’s roles.
Hence, it is not a coincidence that President Mahmud Abbas of Palestine said in his October 2018 statement after leaving Oman that the Sultanate “does not sell or buy when dealing with the Palestinian issue” and that the Sultanate’s compass is permanent.
Testimony to the durability of the Omani stance is the statement made by Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah during the emergency ministerial meeting on the Deal of the Century, when he reaffirmed that Oman’s stand on the Palestinian cause is “permanent and supportive of the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights, particularly their right to establish their own independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
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Another factor of significance is that His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik said in his first address to the nation, “We shall trace the course of the late Sultan, reaffirming the fundamentals of our country’s foreign policy based on peaceful co-existence with nations, good neighbourliness, non-interference in the internal affairs of others, respect for countries’ sovereignty and international cooperation in various spheres. We will remain as the world had known us during the reign of the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. We will call and contribute to resolving disputes by peaceful means, sparing no effort in finding satisfactory solutions in a spirit of harmony and understanding.
“We will continue contact with our brethren, leaders of Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, to enhance our countries’ march of collaboration to realise our peoples’ aspirations and to push the GCC forward.”
His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik also reaffirmed that the Sultanate will continue to support the Arab League and maintain its role as an active member of the UN, a member that respects the UN Charter and works with member states towards achieving international peace and security.
“We will build our relations with all world countries on the basis of the great heritage left behind for us by the late Sultan, God bless him, a heritage whose essence is based on commitment to relations of friendship and cooperation with all, as well as respect for charters, laws and agreements signed with other countries and organisations,” said His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.
Because the late Sultan worked throughout his reign for the establishment of peace and stability—not only for the Omani people, but also for countries and peoples of the world—it is not strange that world leaders and nations feel profound loss, regret his demise and express their appreciation and their recognition for his contributions for the sake of humanity.
Since he assumed power on 23 July 1970, the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimour laid emphasis on devising and implementing principles for Oman’s relations in a manner that guarantees positive and fruitful cooperation with countries that reciprocate the Sultanate’s principles and values, which comply with the international law and international charters and which reserve the sovereignty of all parties, secure non-interference in the internal affairs of others and the solution of disputes and conflicts by peaceful means while at the same time realising the fostering of better ties among nations for generations to come.
Deep faith in peace as a method and means for establishing ties with other countries, in all conditions, over the past 50 years has indeed been key to understanding the parameters of the late Sultan’s stands and, accordingly, the stance of the Sultanate on all issues and events that took place in the region and the world around it.
The late Sultan’s conviction in peace—as a value, a means and an end—was not merely a matter of theory, but it is true faith and true practice that proved itself in the straightforward and transparent handling of developments in the region and the world at large. This deepened the confidence of region countries’ leaders in the late Sultan’s stands. It made leaders in the region and the world keen on meeting His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and soliciting his views, visions and assessment of events and developments.
The stands of the Sultanate derived from the speeches of the late Sultan and his press meetings represent a framework and a highly significant reference, for he announced, right from the start of his reign, that the Sultanate is a “State of Peace” and that this kind of peace the “Peace of the strong ones who equip themselves for peace that is based on justice and fairness”.
In this context, it is worth noting that the Sultanate founded its relations with sisterly and friendly states on pillars that consolidate mutual respect for sovereignty, reject wars and work towards resolving disputes by peaceful means and in a manner paves the way for the establishment of dignified relations with all, guarantees security and stability in the region and secures the interests of all parties.
Since the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos had such deep conviction in peace and, since Oman’s stands stemmed from this vantage point over the past 50 years, it is not a coincidence that the Sultanate and its leadership are accorded such respect, confidence and recognition from all countries of the region and the world.
