Oman, Iraq sign 2 agreements, 24 MoUs in various sectors

Salalah: The Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Iraq on Wednesday signed 2 agreements and 24 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to enhance cooperation between the two countries across various sectors.

The signing ceremony took place at Al Hosn Palace in the Wilayat of Salalah, Dhofar Governorate, in the presence of Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani, Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq and HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs.

The two agreements signed by both parties pertain to the mutual visa waiver for holders of diplomatic, special, and service passports, as well as the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of tax evasion on income and capital.

The MoUs cover a wide range of areas, including youth and sports; judicial and legal affairs; tourism; historical documentation and records management; information exchange and cooperation in the capital market sector; communications; radio and television broadcasting; implementation of training programs in management and leadership development; banking oversight and financial stability; housing and urban planning; higher education and research; educational fields; exchange of expertise and promotion of competition and anti-monopoly measures; development of trade exchanges and export promotion.

Additionally, the MoUs encompass intellectual property, industry, energy, localization of defence industries, transport and logistics, stock exchange, oil storage, marketing of Iraqi crude oil, and chambers of commerce, as well as an MoU in the field of planning, development, and implementation of smart cities.

The agreements and MoUs were signed on behalf of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister (Head of the Omani side in the Omani-Iraqi Joint Committee), Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, Eng. Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, Rear Admiral Ali bin Abdullah Al Shidi, Commandant of the National Defence College, Faisal bin Abdullah Al Rowas, Chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Eng. Abdulrahman Salim Al Hatmi, CEO of ASYAD Group, Wail bin Zuhair Al Jamali, Chief Executive Officer of OQ Trading, Eng. Salem bin Marhoon Al Hashmi, Managing Director of Oman Tank Terminal Company, Mohsin bin Abdulredha Al Lawati, Senior Director of Systems and Development Department at Muscat Stock Exchange, Ali bin Hassan Al Lawati, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Badr Group (Sultanate of Oman) and Sadiq bin Salem Al Firoz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Refineries and Storage Company.

On the Iraqi side, the signatories included Dr. Fuad Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (Head of the Iraqi side in the Omani-Iraqi Joint Committee), Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, Governor of the Central Bank, Eng. Hayan Abdul Ghani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil, Atheer Dawood Al Ghurairi, Minister of Trade,Mustafa Ati, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Military Industries,Dr. Farhan Muhaisen Al-Fartoosy, Director General of the General Company for Ports of Iraq, Ali Nizar Fayeq, Director General of SOMO Oil Company, Riyadh Fakher, Director General of Foreign Economic Relations at the Ministry of Trade, Abdul Razzaq Al-Zuhairi, Chairman of the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce and Nassif Jassim Al-Khattabi, Governor of Karbala.

Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister expressed his pride in the distinguished historical Omani-Iraqi relations across various levels and domains. He added that the Iraqi Prime Minister’s visit to the Sultanate of Oman is the first of its kind during the prosperous reign of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and marks the beginning of a new phase of strategic relations between the two countries.

He noted that Oman looks forward to implementing the outcomes achieved today through the valuable discussions held at the leadership level and through the signing of two agreements and a large number of memoranda of understanding across various fields. These agreements and memoranda, he affirmed, will be followed up by both countries through existing frameworks, most importantly the Omani-Iraqi Joint Committee, as well as through the embassies of both countries in Baghdad and Muscat and the various relevant entities responsible for their implementation.

In his turn, Dr. Fuad Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister stated that this visit is historic by all standards, culminating in the signing of two agreements and memoranda of understanding between the two sides across various fields. He emphasized that Omani-Iraqi relations are evolving toward a strategic partnership between the two countries.