MUSCAT : Sri Lanka and Oman signed an Agreement on the mutual Exemption of Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic, Special, Service and Official Passport Holders on 17th February 2021 coinciding with the 40th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Sri Lanka and Oman.
The Agreement was signed on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka by Omar Lebbe Ameer Ajwad, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Oman and Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali al Harthy, Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs of the Foreign Ministry of Oman on behalf of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman during a special event organized by the Sri Lanka Embassy in Oman in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry of the Sultanate of Oman at the Ministry premises in Muscat to mark the 40th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the two countries which fell on 17th February 2021.
During the special event, a memorial logo to mark this momentous occasion, was jointly launched by Undersecretary Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy and Ambassador Ameer Ajwad followed by the exchange of felicitation messages extended by the Foreign Ministers of Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman. A court pin printed with the memorial logo was also presented by the Ambassador to the Undersecretary.
In his congratulatory message to his Omani counterpart, Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has stated:
“As the nations sharing the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka and Oman are bound by long-standing historical relations underpinned by a vibrant tradition of people to people contacts and mutual respect. Sri Lanka looks forward to continue to work closely with the Sultanate of Oman in the regional as well as international frameworks, particularly the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), of which Sri Lanka is the present Vice – Chair from 2021 – 2023 and will assume the Chairmanship from 2023 – 2025.“
Foreign Minister of Oman, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi in his felicitation message to his Sri Lankan counterpart has stated:
“Oman and Sri Lanka are both Indian Ocean maritime nations, and this has contributed to the longstanding historical associations that both countries enjoy. I am fully committed to working with you to expand and widen our bilateral ties even further in various fields and look forward to meeting you when circumstances permit.”
Speaking during the event, Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Harthy, Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs recalled his memories when he served as Oman’s non-resident Ambassador to Sri Lanka in 1990s and emphasized the importance of further enhancing the bilateral relations between the two countries to achieve another milestone.
During his remarks Ambassador Ameer Ajwad stated that the bilateral relations between the two countries have diversified to encompass a wide range of areas for cooperation over the last four decades and stressed the need for greater connectivity and deeper economic engagement between the two countries for the mutual benefits of both the peoples in the years ahead. Ambassador also paid tribute to all who had extended their invaluable contribution in promoting bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman over the past decades.
Senior officials of the Foreign Ministry of the Sultanate of Oman and the First Secretary of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Muscat, W.D.N.M Abeysekara participated during this special event.
Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman established diplomatic relations on 17th February 1981. Sri Lanka opened its resident diplomatic Mission in Muscat in 1987 and Oman opened its resident diplomatic Mission in Colombo in 2013