Shashi Tharoor to visit Oman

New Delhi, Feb 4 (ANI): Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor will undertake an official visit to Oman between February 5-7.

Tharoor has been invited by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi, Secretary-General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sultanate of Oman for a strategic dialogue and consultations.

Tharoor will be accompanied by an eleven-member Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) delegation.

Apart from substantive discussions on areas of mutual, bilateral and regional interest, Tharoor will meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs and other dignitaries.

Dr. Tharoor will also address the Diplomatic Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on "Indian Foreign Policy Imperatives in the 21st Century."

India and Oman enjoy warm and cordial relations, which can be ascribed to historical contacts as well as contribution made by the Indian expatriate workforce numbering over 556,000 for the development of Oman.

Pursuant to the historic visit of the Oman Prime Minister in November 2008, relationship between the two countries moved to a strategic partnership.

The trade between the two countries is on the upswing despite recessionary global trends. India is the fifth largest source of imports into Oman in 2009.

Oman investments in India have exceeded US$200 million primarily in refineries, tourism, pharmaceutial industry and home furniture. In 2008, major Indian companies, independently or in collaboration, bagged contracts worth US$836 million.

Tharoor's visit is expected to further strengthen and deepen the strategic relationship between the two nations. (ANI)