Combating the persistent problem of piracy in the Gulf of Aden would top the agenda of talks between India and Oman as the defence minister pays a visit to the Gulf country early next week.
In the recent past there has been an increase in the incidences of piracy in the Gulf of Aden that could be a threat to global maritime trade for even a decade down the line.
Talking to FE, the ambassador of Oman in New Delhi, Humaid Al Maani said, ?The minister AK Antony, who will hold meetings with his Oman counterpart on a one-to-one basis, will discuss the issue of piracy and on efforts of securing safe sea lanes for trade between our two countries.?
According to Maani, ?This visit is part of the high-level exchange of visits between India and the Sultanate of Oman. The defence minister will hold high-level talks with senior Omani ministers and officials.?
?During his maiden visit to that country, not only will the minister exchange views with leadership on bilateral and regional issues of mutual concern, he will also review bilateral defence cooperation with his counterpart,? said senior officials in the ministry of defence.
India and the Sultanate of Oman have been exchanging a lot of high level visits lately. In June, commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma?accompanied by a high-level delegation?will visit that country in an effort to attract investments as well as step up efforts for free trade agreement (FTA) in the region.
Apart from safe sea-lanes, defence exports from India to Oman will also be on the agenda. As reported earlier in FE, Oman is the first country in the Gulf region to procure assault rifle INSAS (Indian small arms system), built by the state-run Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
The indigenously built rifle was sent to Muscat in March and is currently undergoing trial for the Oman army.
?Oman has informed us that the rifles have successfully passed the trial run. INSAS will, in all likelihood, be the standard assault rifle of the Royal Oman Army,? said an OFB official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
India will be supplying the 5.56 mm assault rifle to Oman. The weapon has been sent as part of the India-Oman comprehensive defence agreement of 2003.
?If a deal is struck with Oman, the quantity and size of the deal will not be made public,? said major general VK Narula, additional director general (public relations) of the Indian Army.
In December 2005, India and Oman signed a comprehensive defence memorandum of agreement (MoU) aimed at strengthening naval cooperation. Several Indo-Oman bilateral naval exercises have been successfully carried out and have met the underlying aims of the operation.
As per a defence agreement signed in 2008 between India and Oman, a maritime security arrangement was concluded as well as possibilities of stationing Indian troops in Oman.
The state-owned Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) has previously delivered three tugboats to Oman and is now getting orders from Oman due to its efficiency.
In October 2009, India and Oman conducted their first joint air exercises, code named Eastern Bridge, at the Royal Air Force of Oman base at Thumrait.