Shehbaz hosts Omani foreign minister as six cooperation agreements are signed

• PM witnesses exchange during 8th Pakistan-Oman JMC session.
• DPM Dar, Omani FM Sayyid Badr bin Hamad sign JMC protocol.
• Visa MoU covers holders of diplomatic, special, official passports.

Pakistan and the Sultanate of Oman exchanged six agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on Wednesday to strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors.

The exchange took place as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi, who is visiting Pakistan to co-chair the 8th session of the Pakistan-Oman Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC).

The exchange took place during the JMC session, with Shehbaz witnessing the signing of the documents, according to separate news releases issued by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Sayyid Badr signed the protocol recording the minutes of the eighth JMC session, an agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special, official and service passports, and a memorandum of understanding on records and archives.

The remaining three MoUs, covering information and broadcasting, information technology and telecommunications, and news exchange and media cooperation, were signed by the respective federal ministers for information and broadcasting and IT and telecommunications.

The agreements are intended to broaden collaboration in the covered fields and open further avenues for bilateral engagement.

During his meeting with the Omani foreign minister, Shehbaz welcomed him and his delegation and highlighted the shared faith, geographical proximity, history, culture, and centuries-old people-to-people exchanges underpinning the two countries’ longstanding ties.

He described Oman as a brotherly country, an important maritime neighbour and a valuable partner in a strategically significant region.

The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the successful convening of the JMC session, saying it would provide a strong foundation for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation and deepening bilateral engagement.

He also noted the convergence of views between Pakistan and Oman on regional and global issues and appreciated Muscat’s principled emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy to resolve disputes.

Sayyid Badr thanked the Pakistani government for the hospitality extended to him and his delegation and welcomed the successful holding of the JMC session. 

He agreed that the meeting would pave the way for enhanced cooperation across diverse sectors for the mutual benefit of both countries.

The Omani foreign minister also appreciated Pakistan’s sustained diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and promote peaceful solutions to regional challenges.

Dar is co-chairing the eighth JMC session with Sayyid Badr.