Oman-saudi Summit to witness launch of coordination council

Coordination and consultations are always necessary, especially between brothers and neighbouring countries. The Kingdom and the Sultanate share several interests

SAYYID BADR BIN HAMAD AL BUSAIDY Foreign Minister

MUSCAT: The summit between His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia, will witness the launch of a coordination council between the two countries.

This was stated by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, in an interview with Asharq al Awsat. He said the Saudi-omani Coordination Council will act as the framework for several agreements between Riyadh and Muscat.

“Coordination and consultations are always necessary, especially between brothers and neighbouring countries’’, he added. “The Kingdom and the Sultanate share several interests’’, Sayyid Badr said.

“The council will pave the way for the next phase in cooperation and the summit will likely witness the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding in several fields.” He predicted that relations will witness a giant leap in the future, especially in wake of the anticipated historic opening of the first direct land border between the two countries. That will lead the way for promising logistic projects between them, he added.

Asked about Oman’s role at the summit in January which achieved Gulf reconciliation, he said that from the start, Muscat sought to support the Kuwaiti initiative that was proposed by late Emir Shaikh Sabah, and continued by his successor Shaikh Nawaf al Ahmad al Jaber al Sabah.

“We are now working with the Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers and secretary-general to follow up on the summit between late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and Shaikh Sabah that was held in Al Ula in January 2020’’, he said.

Moreover, he stressed that

Saudi Arabia and Oman are closely coordinating their stances on a number of regional issues, starting with the conflict in Yemen.

Yemen, continued the minister, is of great importance at the regional and international levels.

“We are working tirelessly and constantly to stop the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people, to end the war, and help as much as possible to achieve peace and stability’’, the minister added.

Oman supports the Kingdom’s initiative to reach a ceasefire in Yemen, as well as the Riyadh Agreement and the efforts of the United Nations and the United States envoys to the wartorn country.

“Our common goal is ending the conflict according to a solution that respects the concerns of all parties and helps them reach understandings that provide Yemen and the Yemenis with stability and coexistence’’, he added.