Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Oman on Tuesday on a two-day visit. Oman has been mediating the indirect talks between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Iranian and US delegations wrapped up a fifth round of talks in Rome last week amid signs of some limited progress.
Sultan Haitham bin Tarik welcomed Pezeshkian at the al-Alam palace in Muscat where they reviewed “the deep-rooted historical relations between the two friendly countries, exchanged views on current developments in the region, as well as efforts to consolidate the Omani-Iranian partnership, notably in the fields of industry, commerce, and education.”
They also sought ways to boost cooperation in the fields of logistics and health in a manner that serves the interests of their people, reported Oman’s state news agency ONA.
Pezeshkian highlighted Oman’s “effective and constructive” role in the indirect talks with the US, said an Iranian presidency statement.
“We hope the negotiations lead to good results,” he said.
“Oman holds a strategic standing in Iran’s foreign policy,” he went on to say. Iran “fully trusts Oman and this trust increases the responsibility on the two sides to bolster relations and pursue deeper and stronger understandings.”
Prior to departing to Muscat, the Iranian president had said that the trip aims to bolster relations in various fields. “It is in line with the general policies outlined by the supreme leader (Ali Khamenei) to establish the best relations with neighboring countries,” Pezeshkian stated.
“We will cooperate with Oman in all possible fields. We will also discuss regional files, starting with the Palestinian cause and situation in Gaza,” he added according to ISNA.
Muscat has hosted three of the five rounds of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran. Oman’s embassy in Rome hosted the other two.
On economic ties, Pezeshkian noted that the trade exchange between Iran and Oman stood at around 2.3 billion dollars.
He added that he will discuss during his trip issues related to land and air transport, trade and industry, education and technology, communications, and investment.
Sultan Haitham and Pezeshkian later oversaw the signing of five cooperation agreements, ten memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and three executive programs. They covered legal and judicial affairs, and the fields of investment, customs, communications and information technology, housing, urban planning, construction, and others.
