Oman, India ink key MoU for collaboration in new areas of defence engagement

Oman and India signed a notable Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on January 31 that is expected to provide a framework for collaboration in new areas of defence engagement, including the procurement of defence material and equipment.

The developments came in a meeting of Oman-India Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC) in Muscat. The two sides also carried out a comprehensive review of their defence cooperation and explored ways to enhance it.

Meeting delved into new areas of defence cooperation

It is believed that the overall situation in the Middle East including security concerns arising from the targeting of cargo vessels in the strategic Red Sea by Houthi militants, amid the brutal Israel-Hamas war, figured in the discussions.

“Both sides reviewed and appreciated the robust defence cooperation between India and Oman,” India’s Defence Ministry noted. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane led the Indian delegation at the high-level talks in Muscat.

The meeting delved into several new areas of cooperation such as information sharing, training, joint exercise, oceanography, ship building and MRO (maintenance, repair, operations), the ministry further mentioned in its statement.

The Omanese side expressed confidence in the capability of the Indian defence industry. In addition, Aramane also invited the Omanese secretary general and his delegation to visit India and explore the defence industrial capacity, reported Economic Times.

Oman and India linked by geography, history and culture

Oman remains one of the closest defence partners of India in the Gulf region. Defence cooperation has emerged as an important pillar of the strategic partnership between the two countries, the Defence Ministry of India noted.

India and Oman are linked by geography, history and culture, as per the Embassy of India in Muscat. People-to-people contact can be traced back 5000 years, but diplomatic ties were established in 1955 and the relationship was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2008.