Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Muscat, Oman on Sunday, on the last leg of his Middle East tour. The key visit comes in the framework of longstanding co-operation binding the two countries in all fields, said a report.

Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers led the welcoming party for Indian PM Modi and his accompanying delegation upon their arrival at the Royal Airport..

PM later held wide-ranging talks with Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said as the two sides signed eight agreements, including pacts on cooperation in the field of defence, health and tourism.

The two leaders discussed measures to strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, energy, defence, security, food security and regional issues, reported PTI, citing a senior Ministry of External Affairs official.

“Charting out new frontiers in our bilateral relationship, PM @narendramodi led delegation-level talks with Sultan Qaboos of Oman. The two strategic partners discussed to strengthen cooperation in trade & investment, energy, defence & security, food security and regional issues,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
 
During the meeting, Sultan Qaboos appreciated the contribution of “honest and hard working” Indian nationals in the development of Oman.

After their talks, the two sides signed eight agreements, including an MoU on legal and judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters.

They also signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special, service and official passports and an MoU on cooperation in the field of health, tourism and peaceful uses of outer space, said the PTI report.

The two countries also signed an agreement on cooperation between Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, India and Oman’s Diplomatic Institute.

An MoU on academic and scholarly cooperation between National Defence College, Sultanate of Oman and the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. The two sides also signed annexutre to the MoU on military cooperation, said the PTI report.

Earlier, addressing the Indian diaspora at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Oman’s capital, Modi said the ties of India and Oman have always remained strong despite the ups and downs in the political environment in both the countries.

He also said that Indian diaspora has played an essential role in strengthening these ties.

India and Oman have thriving links rooted in centuries old people-to-people exchanges, Modi said. More than nine million Indians work and live in the Gulf region. In Oman, they constitute the largest expatriate community, it stated.

During his Oman visit, PM will be going to a 200-year old Shiva temple in Oman. “We will be hosting for the first time an Indian PM to our temple,”said MC Rawal, Priest, Shiva Temple, Muscat.

The temple, situated in Muscat near Sultan’s Palace, is among the first Hindu temples in Arab states. It was built by merchant community from Gujarat which settled in the country.  

"The prime minister will also visit a 200-year-old Shiva temple in Oman," Mridul Kumar, joint secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), had said last week while announcing Modi's itinerary.

On the first leg of his trip, Modi had travelled to Ramallah, becoming the first Indian prime minister to make an official visit to Palestine. From there he visited the UAE, before arriving in Oman, the report added.