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In the third and final leg of his three-nation visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Oman on December 17-18. This trip, which marks 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Oman, focuses on strengthening business and strategic relations between the two countries. Industry experts point to the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as the central point of discussion.
The proposed CEPA, a major trade agreement, is expected to quickly and easily double the trade between the two nations within the next two or three years once it comes into effect. This agreement would open a new market for India and offer Oman great benefits, especially in key areas. For India, receiving supplies from Oman's petrochemical industry through this pact helps achieve better energy security. For Oman, the agreement helps address the very important topic of food security. "The main purpose of this visit is Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The Agreement is in focus. A lot of discussion is taking place on this," said Alkesh Joshi, Partner at Ernst & Young, speaking to ANI ahead of the PM's visit. Despite the short duration of the visit, the focus remains strong. "PM is coming to Oman for 23 hours. We wanted the visit to be a little longer. Indian diaspora has been waiting for PM Modi for a long time," Joshi noted. Prime Minister Modi will hold discussions with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman and also address a gathering of the Indian community. Kiran Asher, Founder and Group Managing Director of Al Ansari Group, said, "The visit of PM is exciting for everybody, every Indian in this country. They are looking forward to see him, meet him or greet him." He added that the business coordination the visit promises has been awaited for some time. "The visit of PM is exciting for everybody, every Indian in this country. They are looking forward to see him, meet him or greet him. But this visit was expected 2-4 years ago for the betterment of the trade relationship or CEPA. It has taken time but better late than never. We are so happy that this will bring a lot of business coordination between the two countries...The people here believe they want to work with India wherever possible," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday departed from Delhi on a three-nation tour, beginning with a visit to Jordan, then Ethiopia, and finally Oman. (ANI)
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