New York: Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, today participated in the Arab Ministerial Consultative Meeting, held on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The meeting discussed the latest regional developments and common challenges. It stressed the importance of unifying Arab ranks and enhancing joint cooperation to address current crises, notably within the context of the Palestinian cause.
The ministers expressed their unwavering support for the rights of the Palestinian people and the importance of realizing a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with Al Quds Al Sharqiyah (East Jerusalem) as its capital.
They also reiterated their call for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and intensify efforts to immediately implement a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and terminate the brutal Israeli aggression.
Sayyid Badr also conferred with several officials. Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Republic of Maldives, received Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
During the meeting, Sayyid Badr conveyed the greetings and best wishes of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to President of the Republic of Maldives, along with His Majesty’s wishes of further growth and prosperity to the Maldivian people.
The President of the Republic of Maldives asked Sayyid Badr to convey his greetings to His Majesty the Sultan, as well as his sincere wishes to His Majesty and the Omani people. He hoped that relations between the two countries would continue to grow and develop further.
The meeting dealt with ways to enhance bilateral relations in the fields of tourism, environment and sustainable development. It laid emphasis on means of enhancing commercial exchange, developing economic cooperation and exploring new investment opportunities, notably in the marine and environmental sectors.
The two sides also discussed common challenges related to climate change and ways of consolidating cooperation in this field. They also stressed the need to enhance joint efforts to protect natural resources. The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest.
Sayyid Badr also held a meeting with Ivan Gil Pinto, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. During the meeting, the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to hold political consultations to help enhance coordination about bilateral, regional and international issues of common interest.
They also signed an agreement on mutual exemption from visas for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports.
The ministers exchanged views on bilateral relations and opportunities to enhance economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. They stressed the importance of exploring new areas of partnership in promising sectors and exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest.
Then, Sayyid Badr met with Alice Nderitu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Prevention of Genocide. The two sides discussed the tragic situation in the Gaza Strip and expressed their deep concern over the ongoing escalation and violence against civilians at a time the international community shows inability to stop the aggression and violation of international law.
The two sides also exchanged views on means of enhancing efforts to protect world peoples from serious violations. They discussed means of providing urgently needed support to the Palestinian people who continue to meet serious challenges.
The meeting also touched on means of boosting international efforts to combat hate speech and incitement.
During a meeting with Deemah Al Yahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, Sayyid Badr reviewed cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and the Organization. They discussed projects that support digital diplomacy and capacity and skills development within the context of digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable development.
During his meeting with Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of Luxembourg, the Minister of Foreign Affairs reviewed the bilateral relations between the Sultanate of Oman and Luxembourg, and ways to enhance them in various fields, especially in the areas of economic and investment cooperation.
On the other hand, the Sultanate of Oman and Hungary signed an executive programme in the field of higher education. The programme was signed by Sayyid Badr and Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary.
The Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Bulgaria signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to hold political consultations to advance bilateral relations and an agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports.
The MoU was signed by Sayyid Badr and Ivan Kondov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria.
During the meeting, the two ministers discussed regional and international developments of common interest.
In another meeting, Sayyid Badr and Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, reviewed the latest developments in the Yemeni arena. They discussed international and regional efforts made to achieve peace and stability in Yemen. They stressed the need to back efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution that paves the way for a future of security, stability and harmony for the Yemeni people.
Sayyid Badr then met with Dr. Badr Abdel Aati, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The two sides hailed the strong Omani-Egyptian relations and the two countries’ keenness to keep developing and diversifying programmes of cooperation in various vital fields to achieve more benefits for the two peoples.
Sayyid Badr and Dr. Badr Abdel Aati reviewed topics on the agenda of the current session of the United Nations General Assembly. They exchanged views on developments in the region, most notably those related to the Palestinian issue, as well as efforts to realize justice, alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people and achieve their aspirations for independence and freedom.
Sayyid Badr underlined the significance of Egypt’s role and its support for the Arab cause. For his part, the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs commended the foreign policy of the Sultanate of Oman the country’s wisdom and its peaceful and constructive positions at regional and international levels. He stressed the need to step up coordination of Arab positions, boost peaceful solutions and stop military escalation in the region.
During his meeting with Bakhtiyor Saidov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Sayyid Badr discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Oman and Uzbekistan in the fields of economy, trade and culture.
The two sides elaborated on prospects for cooperation in the field of investments, notably in renewable energy and technology sectors. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest.
