Diplomatist Magazine Oman 2018 - Special Report | Page 13

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar visited Oman May 2016.
May 2016, which saw the signing of four MoUs
in the fi eld of defence cooperation. In 2017,
both countries conducted biennial bilateral
exercises of their forces and a second army
exercise ’Al Najah’ was successfully concluded
in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Both
countries regularly conduct a Naval exercise,
‘Naseem Al Bahr’, which was fi rst conducted
in 1993 and, most recently, in 2017.
The Dqum port in Oman, one of the busiest
and strategically signifi cant ports in Oman, is
where Indian naval ships have been visiting.
Indian Air Force and Navy aircrafts also
regularly use Omani airports for refuelling
and operational purposes, which is one of the
biggest achievements for India in its efforts
to safeguard its interests in the region and the
Arabian Sea in particular.
Furthermore, the Armies of both countries
enjoy a great degree of cooperation and
regularly conduct military exercises to facilitate
each other in perfecting the tools of warfare.
These measure have become all the more
important in light of the growing threat of
terrorism and the consequent need to address
the same both inside and outside the boundaries
of the two countries. In a series of the second
bilateral mutually conducted military exercise
between the armies of the two countries on
March 6-19, 2017 in Bakloh in Himachal
Pradesh, 60 troops participated.
All of the above are indicators of the growing
bilateral relationship between India and Oman
which extends to not just the economy but to
defence, health, tourism and other sectors as
well. Thousands of skilled Indian expatriates
in Oman are doing remarkable work in their
respected fi elds. These trained professionals
are working in different sectors like academic
institutions, government hospitals and clinics
in the private sector. There are a good number
of Indian schools, around 21, which offer the
CBSE syllabus, running in Oman.
India, now a leading world power and one
of the fastest growing countries, is forging
relationships for mutual development with
countries around the world. In this regard,
Oman remains an important nation and a major
ally for India.
* The Author holds a PhD from Jawaharlal
Nehru University, School of International
Studies, Centre for West Asian Studies. He
regularly writes on West Asian affairs.
2018 • INDIA-OMAN • 13