On August 11, Yerevan hosted the latest round of political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Sultanate of Oman, headed respectively by Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahan Kostanyan and Undersecretary for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Alharthy.

The two sides commanded the high level of political dialogue and existing cooperation between Armenia and Oman across various areas, highlighting the importance of the opening of a resident Embassy of Armenia in Oman.

The discussions focused on increasing bilateral trade turnover, promoting investments, and deepening cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, transport, and energy. The sides also emphasized the significance of implementing joint initiatives to advance cooperation in tourism, high technologies, healthcare, education, and culture.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Alharthy announced that, in high appreciation of the decision by the Government of Armenia to unilaterally exempt Omani citizens from the entry visa requirement to Armenia, the Government of Oman has decided to reciprocate granting Armenian citizens visa-free entry into Oman, effective August 11 of this year. As a result, Armenian citizens will now be able to travel to Oman for short-term visits without a visa, fostering tourism links and people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

During the political consultations, the sides also discussed ongoing cooperation and mutual support between the two countries in multilateral fora, as well as issues concerning the finalization and signing of interstate documents currently under mutual coordination.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Alharthy reiterated the Sultanate of Oman’s position in support of establishing peace and stability in the South Caucasus, congratulating his Armenian counterpart on the recent initialing- by the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan, in the presence of the President of the United States- of an agreement on the establishment of peace and interstate relations between the two countries.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia briefed the interlocutor on the vision of the Republic of Armenia for achieving regional peace and touched upon the “Crossroads of Peace” project proposed by the Armenian Government.

The interlocutors also exchanged views on other key issues on the regional and international agenda.