On the occasion of 75^th Independence Day of India, I extend warm greetings and heartiest felicitations to all members of the Indian community living in the Sultanate of Oman. On behalf of the Government and people of India, including the Indian community in Oman, I extend best wishes to His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik and the Government and people of Oman for the continued peace, progress and prosperity of Oman. 

It is a moment of pride for all Indians across the world as we celebrate this important milestone in the journey of our beloved nation. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the curtain raiser activities of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ India@75. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister asserted that Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav means elixir of energy of independence. It means elixir of inspiration from the warriors of freedom struggle, elixir of new ideas & pledges and nectar of Aatmnirbharta (Self-reliance). 

Government of India plans to commemorate India@75 in a big way with a series of events and I am confident that Indian nationals in Oman will also participate wholeheartedly to celebrate India@75 in a grand way in Oman. India is proud of its Constitution and democratic traditions. India’s present-day achievements, especially in the fields of healthcare and vaccine manufacturing, are giving hope to the entire humanity during the COVID pandemic. It is fitting that India’s Presidency of the United Nations Security Council coincides with this special occasion.

India’s engagements with the world have always been guided by the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world in one family. This has also been the guiding principle in our efforts to deal with COVID. As the world continues to battle against COVID pandemic, India has supported more than 130 countries by supplying medicines. Earlier this year, under Vaccine Maitri initiative, India supplied over 60 million doses of COVID19 vaccines to more than 90 countries. Within our country, India rolled out the largest vaccination drive in the world, efficiently managed by indigenous technological platform Co-WIN. India has made it an open-source platform and is willing to share it with friendly countries across the world. 

India-Oman cooperation during COVID has been reflective of the special and deep friendship that the two countries share. Government of Oman has taken good care of the Indian Diaspora residing in Oman which we sincerely appreciate. India remained a reliable supplier of food and other essential items to Oman at a time when global supply chains were severely disrupted. India gifted 100,000 doses of Made-in-India COVID19 vaccines to Oman. Indian healthcare workers are working side-by-side with their Omani friends to provide medical care to the population. Oman also supported India’s fight against COVID19 during the second wave by providing essential medical equipment and medicines. We are also grateful to the Indian diaspora in Oman for their continuous support and their contribution towards India’s fight against COVID.

India and Oman share a millenia-old friendship which has evolved into a vibrant and multifaceted strategic partnership. In a fitting tribute to the chief architect of India-Oman strategic partnership and in recognition of his seminal role in enhancing regional peace, India announced in March 2021 the conferment of the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize 2019 on Late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said

There is a strong desire among the leaderships and peoples of India and Oman to further expand and deepen our strategic partnership. In a telephone conversation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with HM Sultan Haitham earlier this year, this desire was reaffirmed by both the leaders. As Oman seeks to realize its Vision 2040 and India marches ahead on the path towards self-reliance, the opportunities for enhanced cooperation are abundant. India can be a trusted partner in all priority areas identified by Oman under Vision 2040. India’s economic growth offers huge opportunities for Omani companies. Working towards realization of this huge potential will be the main objective for the Indian Embassy in the days ahead.  In this endeavour, we look forward to working closely with the Government and people of Oman as well as the Indian diaspora in Oman.

May the India-Oman friendship continue to flourish! Jai Hind!