Wednesday 30 / October / 2024
Muscat: India’s new ambassador to Oman has identified several key areas in which both countries can work together, in his first official interview since arriving in the country.
Speaking exclusively to the Times of Oman, Munu Mahawar highlighted areas of cooperation between the two countries, and charted out a plan to strengthen the relations between India and the Sultanate.
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“I would say the priority areas where there is considerable scope are space cooperation, energy, including renewable energy, logistics, mines and minerals; food security is another area where we can work together, and there are some other areas such as skill development and IT over which the government of Oman is placing emphasis; these are all areas where we either have things to offer that Oman needs, or Oman has the capacity to offer what we need,” he said.
“The trade that has been growing is still around five to six billion dollars, and the investment flows have increased, but I would say that there is still potential to do a lot more,” added Mahawar.
“Also, I feel there is a strong complementarity between the two countries, in terms of what one country needs and the other country has to offer, so in terms of priority areas, of course, during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, we issued a big joint statement which brings out in clear terms the priority areas.”
Mahawar also hailed the role that the more than 800,000 Indians in Oman had played towards the economic, scientific and social development of the Sultanate.
“We are maritime neighbours so it is a country which is very important for us, it is a country with which our relations are a top priority for the government, so it was natural for me to want to work in this area,” he revealed. “I think the Indian diaspora in Oman has played a very important and significant role in cementing the relations between the two countries. They have also contributed significantly to the economic progress of Oman.”
“I am really appreciative and thankful to the government of Oman that under the guidance of His Majesty, warm hospitality has been accorded to the diaspora,” added Mahawar. “The government of India has placed emphasis on strengthening the links with the Indian diaspora. We want the diaspora to play a greater role in the development of bilateral relations, we want the diaspora to play a greater role in the growth story of India itself, and therefore, the government, through its embassies and consulates, has been making conscious efforts to reach out to the diaspora to strengthen the bonds.”
“The embassy here in Muscat also has been doing this,” he said.
“We have taken steps to reach out to the diaspora, to strengthen our interaction, and as ambassador, my intention is also to continue moving forward in this path and in this direction. First of all, the strategic partnership that we have with Oman is very extensive and covers a large number of areas. Therefore, we have to focus on multiple sectors.
“If we focus on the economic interaction between India and Oman, it is fairly robust, yet I would say it is still below the potential that we have, given the strong people-to-people links and given the strong and pretty good air and maritime connectivity that we have between our two countries.”
Mahawar previously served as Joint Secretary in charge of Relations with the Americas, and has also served in the offices of the Joint Secretary of matters relating to the United Nations, as well as in the Prime Minister’s Office.
He has also had two stints in Russia and one in Switzerland. This is his first assignment in the Middle East, and he is looking forward to seeing what Oman had to offer.
“It is a very friendly country, it is a country with which we have had extensive relationships, for a very long period of time, and there is a lot of love and affection in India towards Oman,” he said. “I have received a very warm welcome from whosoever I have met, whether from the Omani side or a member from the Indian diaspora.”
“There was always a strong desire on my part to work here and I am delighted to have gotten this opportunity. The Middle East is a very important area from India’s perspective. It is an area upon which we depend for our energy security, and the presence of a large diaspora is also critical for us. Within the GCC, I think our relations with Oman are particularly close. We have had historically close relations, we have had strong cooperation in the defence sector, our economic engagement has also been strong, and our trade goes back thousands of years.”
