Friday 27 / December / 2024
Muscat: Oman and France have been strengthening their ties on many fronts since the 1970s, Roland Dubertrand, the outgoing French Ambassador to Oman stated on the occasion of his country’s Bastille Day celebrations.
“Our modern relations have existed since the 1970s and I hope that they will continue to develop further. I think we will strengthen this dialogue and cooperation because Oman is situated in a very special and strategic region of the world.”
The French National Day, or Bastille Day, is celebrated every year on July 14; it symbolises the beginning of the French revolution in 1789. “The French are very fond of the values of the revolution: fraternity, freedom and equality, and this year to commemorate Bastille Day, we will have the reception at the Crowne Plaza on July 13.”
Ambassador Dubertrand further spoke about the recent political developments in his country, “The political situation in France has changed since we elected the new president of the republic, Emmanuel Macron, on May 7. He is 39, and it’s the first time we have such a young head of state since Napoleon”.
“We have this very dynamic and energetic president and he has changed many things pertaining to the political situation in France. He has completely modified the dynamics of the political system. The president has said that he wants people from the right, left and centre to work together in this new approach to make reforms. He is also in favour of more European integration, globalization and an open world. ”
France also plays a very active role in the Middle East, “Our policies in the MENA region are very active and one of our main aims is to fight terrorism. We are doing that with the international coalition in the Iraq and Syria. We need to fight against the terrorists in Libya too. We are also trying to resolve political crises and stabilise the region.”
“In similar ways, since the 1970s we have created relationships with the Gulf countries. We want to develop these relationships because this is a strategic region and we hope that the crisis between Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar will be resolved soon. We think it can be solved through dialogue among these countries. The president of France is in contact with our partners and we support the Kuwaiti mediation efforts.”
There are about 1,000 French nationals living in Oman. Ambassador Dubertrand will leave the country at the end of July after serving three fruitful years in Oman.
“I will be leaving Oman with my wife, Marjane, at the end of July and we will do so sadly because it’s a beautiful country with very hospitable people. During our three years in Oman, I have been quite proud of our bilateral relations. We have successfully developed the security and military cooperation between France and Oman. This is very important because of Oman’s strategic position in the Gulf, and we now have better security and military connections. We were also visited by our Minister of Defence Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is now the Minister of Foreign Affairs in France. “
“I am quite proud of the friendly political dialogue between the two countries, and we have strengthened our economic exchanges and established OFFA, Omani French Friendship Association (OFFA).”
The two governments have together completed preliminary studies for the renovation of Bait Fransa, which is the Omani
French museum.
“The renovated museum will showcase the relationships between France and Oman and present life in Muscat in the 19th century.”
