ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the Sultanate of Oman exchanged six agreements and memoranda of understanding on Wednesday, October 14, to widen cooperation across several sectors. The documents were signed at the Prime Minister's Office in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi visited to co-chair the 8th session of the Pakistan-Oman Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC).
According to Geo News, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Sayyid Badr signed the minutes of the 8th JMC session, an agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special, official and service passports, and an MoU on records and archives. The remaining three MoUs, covering information and broadcasting, IT and telecommunications, and news exchange and media cooperation, were signed by the relevant federal ministers.
Oman's Ministry of Foreign Affairs separately confirmed the signing of one agreement, four MoUs and the JMC minutes, noting that the archives MoU links Oman's National Records and Archives Authority with the National Archives of Pakistan.
During the meeting, Shehbaz described Oman as a brotherly country, an important maritime neighbour and a valuable partner in a strategically significant region, and praised Muscat's emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy to settle disputes.
Dawn reported that at a joint media interaction the two foreign ministers called for dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict between the United States and Iran, and underlined the need for safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. "Dialogue and diplomacy is the only way forward. Conflict is no solution to any issue," Dar said.
Arab News reported that both countries also condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia that killed one Pakistani and injured five others. The next, ninth session of the JMC will be held in Oman, Dawn said.