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INDIA, OMAN FOR FTA WITH GCC
Date : 06 Sep 2006
Location : New Delhi
INDIA, OMAN FOR FTA WITH GCC
New Delhi, Bhadrapada 15, 1928
September 06, 2006
At the 5th Session of the India-Oman Joint Commission, co-chaired by Shri Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry & Mr. Maqbool Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Sultanate of Oman, leading their respective delegations, which concluded here last evening, both sides highlighted the relevance of the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and expressed support for the agreement.
Recognizing that the present level of economic engagement is far below the potential, both sides have identified various potential sectors to further upgrade bilateral trade and economic cooperation. These include traditional as well as new areas such as Petroleum – Oil and Energy, Gas and Fertilizers, Information Technology, Higher Education, Civil Aviation, Agriculture etc. A number of MOUs and cooperation agreements are also contemplated in the sectors of shipping, higher education and culture.
Tourism was considered a promising area and modalities for issue of tourist visas to Indian tourists visiting Oman and involving the private sector in this initiative was discussed.
Both sides specifically considered labour, employment and manpower cooperation as a priority sector for bilateral cooperation. Recognizing India’s capabilities, Oman requested Indian cooperation in the areas of health care, higher education and IT. Both sides also agreed to set up a Task Force to monitor and accelerate implementation of the recommendations of the technical level deliberations.
The Omani Minister accompanied by a large business delegation also had meetings with the Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram; IT and Communications Minister, Shri Dayanidhi Maran; the Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri E. Ahmed and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Shri Prithvi Raj Chavan.
SB/NR/MRS
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