Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday departed for New Delhi after concluding his visit to Oman, marking the final leg of his three-nation overseas engagement.
Reflecting the importance attached to the visit, the Prime Minister was seen off at the airport by Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said.
The visit was marked by a major diplomatic milestone, with Prime Minister Modi being conferred “The First Class of the Order of Oman”, the Sultanate’s highest civilian honour. This marks the 29th international civilian award received by the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Modi arrived in Oman on Wednesday and was received by Sultan Haitham bin Tarik at Al Baraka Palace in Muscat. The two leaders held a series of engagements aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties between India and Oman.
On Thursday, the engagements culminated in formal bilateral talks, during which India and Oman signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), marking a significant step forward in deepening their strategic partnership.
Welcoming the signing of the agreement, both sides said CEPA would expand economic cooperation and strengthen long-term bilateral engagement.
“The agreement will increase trade between India and Oman, boost investment, catalyse economic diversification, unlock opportunities in all major sectors of the economy, enhance economic growth and generate employment,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“For people, CEPA means more jobs, better market access for businesses, stronger supply chains and greater economic opportunities on both sides,” he added.
Elaborating on the broader outcomes of the talks, Jaiswal said Prime Minister Modi and Sultan Haitham exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including defence and security, trade and investment, energy and agriculture, technology, emerging sectors, culture and people-to-people relations.
The two leaders also discussed regional and global developments, details of which were later shared by the MEA spokesperson in a post on X.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi participated in the India–Oman Business Forum, where he highlighted key reforms undertaken by India over the past 11 years, noting that these have helped position the country among the world’s most competitive markets.
The Oman visit concluded Prime Minister Modi’s three-nation overseas tour, underlining India’s sustained focus on West Asia as a strategic priority. In recent years, the Prime Minister has visited several countries in the region, including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman.
As part of the broader overseas engagements, Prime Minister Modi also undertook a two-day visit to Ethiopia, where he was conferred the country’s highest civilian honour, the “Nishan of Ethiopia”. During the visit, India and Ethiopia elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership.
Earlier, during the Jordan leg of the tour, Prime Minister Modi met King Abdullah II and held a series of engagements with the Jordanian leadership and business community, further strengthening diplomatic and economic ties.
-ANI
