External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Muscat today on her first official visit to Oman for talks with the oil-rich Gulf nation's top leadership and review bilateral political, economic, defence and security issues as well as the regional situation.
This is Ms Swaraj's third visit to the Gulf region. She had earlier travelled to Bahrain in September and the United Arab Emirates in November last year, indicating the high importance attached by the new government on India's relations with the strategic region.
During her two-day visit, Ms Swaraj will hold extensive talks tomorrow with her Omani counterpart Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah on bilateral, regional and other issues of mutual interest.
Ms Swaraj, who arrived here in the evening, was received by Omani foreign ministry officials and India's Ambassador to Oman J S Mukul.
The two Foreign Ministers are likely to discuss Prime Minister Narendra Modi's possible visit to Oman later this year, official sources said.
India and Oman have a very robust relationship based on extensive people-to-people contacts and historical economic and cultural exchanges, they said.
Oman is an important trading partner of India in the Gulf region with bilateral trade exceeding US$ 5.7 billion in 2013-14.
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