Sunday 03 / August / 2025
Muscat: India’s envoy to Oman has praised the ‘exemplary’ cooperation the two countries have shown during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that his country will always be available to provide assistance when needed.
“We have been working very closely from the very beginning of the pandemic,” said Munu Mahawar.
“Right from the start of the COVID pandemic, our two governments have worked very closely with each other, for the repatriation of people, for travel, for provisioning of all kinds of support.
“There is excellent cooperation between our two countries normally, and during the pandemic, this has been exemplary,” he went on to add.
“We have worked intensively during the pandemic to provide medical supplies, as we are reliable friends of Oman.”
Providing examples of the assistance India had provided to Oman during the pandemic, as well as to help many of the Indian nationals living and working in the country, Mahawar said, “We facilitated the supply of essential items from India, we provided supplies of hydroxychloroquine to Oman, and our medical professionals have been working on the front lines.
“We appreciate the support His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik has provided to the Indian community in Oman,” he added. “This adds another dimension to the multi-faceted cooperation we’ve been having in the fight against the pandemic.”
Mahawar said India would also provide its expertise to Oman in achieving its economic diversification plans, as part of the country’s efforts to build a sustainable economy that eases its reliance on revenues from oil and gas.
“I am sure that in the coming months, particularly in the post-COVID era, there will be a deepening of our relationship,” he explained. “We believe that there are many areas in which we can further develop our cooperation.
“We believe India can assist Oman in all the areas that have been identified under Vision 2040, and we also see Oman as an important partner in our campaign to become self-reliant,” he went on to add.
“There are a whole range of areas where we can work closely together.” The ambassador was also hopeful of an expansion of the existing air bubble agreement that allows passengers to travel between the two countries during the pandemic.
“I think the air bubble is working very smoothly, and as and when both sides decide to expand this further, we will provide an update,” he explained. “For the time-being, the air bubble has been working rather well, thanks to the cooperation of the concerned parties from both governments.
“Oman is an important and pivotal partner for India,” added Mahawar. “We will always work to consolidate the bilateral relations between our countries so that we can achieve the interests we have in various fields
