New Delhi Jan 31 (FN Agency) India and Oman on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on procurement of defence material and equipment which would provide a framework for a new area of defence collaboration. The agreement was signed by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Secretary General Mohammed Bin Naseer Bin Ali Al Zaabi in Muscat. This agreement is towards implementing India-Oman Joint Vision Document entitled ‘A Partnership for the Future’, adopted during the visit of Head of State of the Sultanate of Oman Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik in December last year. Oman is one of India’s closest defence partners in the Gulf region and defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and Oman. The Defence Secretary who is on a two-day visit to Oman also co-chaired the 12th Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC) meeting with Secretary General of Oman.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed and appreciated the robust defence cooperation between the two countries. The JMCC meeting delved into many new areas of cooperation in the fields of training, joint exercise, information sharing, oceanography, ship building and MRO, that would build mutual trust and interoperability between militaries of both nations, an official statement said here. Moreover, they also exchanged views on regional and global issues of shared interest. Both sides also discussed effective and practical initiatives to further boost bilateral defence engagements with focus on defence industries collaboration. The Defence Secretary during his bilateral talks with the Secretary General highlighted the potential of domestic defence industry with capacity, capability and looked forward to a fruitful partnership with the Armed Forces of Oman. Meanwhile, the Oman side expressed confidence in the capability of Indian defence industry.