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The newly constructed Chancery-cum-Embassy Residence Complex of
Embassy of India Muscat was jointly inaugurated by H.E. Mr. Pranab
Mukherjee, Minister of External Affairs of India and H.E. Mr.
Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign
Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman in the evening of 13th
January, 2008.
From Omani side many senior Ministers, Advisors, Secretary-Generals
and Under Secretaries (Secretary-rank in India):
H.E. Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister
Responsible for Foreign Affairs.
H.E. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Minister for
External Affairs.
H.E. Dr. Omer bin Abdul Munim Al Zawawi,
Special Advisor to H.M the Sultan for External
Liaison, Muscat.
H.E. Sayyid Abdullah bin Hamed bin Seif Al
Busaidi,
President of State Audit Bureau.
H.E. Mr. Maqbool bin Ali bin Sultan, Minister
of Commerce and Industry.
H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Ali bin Nasser Al Alawi,
Minister of Legal Affairs.
H.E. Dr. Rawya bint Saud bin Ahmed Al
Busaidiyah,
Minister of Higher Education.
H.E. Mr. E. Ahamad, Minister of State for
External Affairs
Government of India.
H.E. Darwish bin Ismail bin Ali Al Balushi,
Secretary General, Ministry of Finance.
H.E. Salem bin Nasser bin Said Al Maskari.
Secretary General, Council of Higher Education
Members of the
diplomatic corps and more than 1,000 prominent Indians were present
in the ceremony, which was followed by a reception and a cultural
programme. Initiating the ceremony, H.E. Mr. Anil Wadhwa, Ambassador
of India to the Sultanate of Oman gave a brief account of the
conception and construction of the complex along with its
specifications.
Speaking on the
occasion, the Minister of External Affairs highlighted the steadily
developing bilateral relations between India and Oman and mentioned
various projects between the two countries and also the Memoranda of
Understanding signed in December 2007 during the visit of H.H.
Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the
Council of Ministers of the Sultanate of Oman to India.
While addressing the
gathering, H.E. Mr. Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah underlined the
excellent bilateral relations and termed them as “strategic”. He
also highlighted importance of India as the immediate and very
import neighbour of Gulf and recognized contribution of Indian
professionals in the development of Oman.
Two MOUs were signed
during the visit at Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI).
The MOU signing ceremony was, inter alia, witnessed by Minister of
State for External Affairs, H.E. Mr. E. Ahamed, Chairman of OCCI,
H.E. Mr. Khalil bin Abdullah Al Khonji, Undersecretary in the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry, H.E. Ahmed Hassan Al Dheeb.
I. one between Oman and Emirates Investment Holding Company (OEIHC)
and Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET),
Chennai for setting up a Plastics Technology Training & Development
Center in Oman.
II. and the other one etween Institute of Chartered
Accountants of India (ICAI) and College of Banking and Financial
Studies (CBFS) for setting up a Chartered Accountants Institute in
Oman.
The first MOU was
signed by Mr. Awadh Bamkhalef, CEO of OEIHC and Prof. S.K. Nayak, DG
of CIPET; and the second MOU was signed by President of ICAI, Mr.
Sunil Talati and Chairman of CBFS, Mr. Iqbal Khamis Al Lawati.
See photographs of the occassion |