Iran's Rouhani visits Oman to discuss bilateral ties

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani began a two-day visit to the Sultanate of Oman, the closest gulf state to Tehran among the GCC countries, to discuss bilateral ties between the two countries with Sultan Qaboos Bin Said; an official source said yesterday.

Rouhani is the second Iranian president to visit Oman after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited the Arab state in 2007.

Oman’s deputy Prime Minister, Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al-Said, and Foreign Minister, Yusuf Bin Alawi, received Rouhani in Muscat airport. Qaboos, who visited Tehran in August, was the first head of state to visit Iran after Rouhani’s inauguration into office.

Before leaving to Muscat Rouhani said: “The visit represents great significance in the rapprochement between Iran and the Islamic countries; especially with Iran’s neighbouring countries. The countries of the southern Persian Gulf and Oman Sea are of great significance because of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran and Oman control both sides of the strategic strait through which 40 per cent of oil exports are transported to the world.

Rouhani said that during his visit he wants to discuss “the trade and economic bilateral agreements especially in the fields of oil and gas exports as well as in the fields of finance, banking and culture”.

Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said: “Iran has been studying increasing gas exports to Oman and hoped that he will fulfil the agreement during this visit.”

Oman has played a major role in rapprochement between Iran and the United States due to its good relationship with both sides.

Oman’s Foreign Minister told Oman’s state newspaper that “the Sultanate has played a major role to converge western countries with Iran as reported by some media and this role began during the days of former US President Bill Clinton and continue today.”

“The Sultanate’s goal is to protect the region from disastrous confrontations between Iran and the major Western countries,” he said.