PM Modi arrives Oman, exchanges perspectives with Deputy PM on bilateral ties
Muscat (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday interacted with Oman's Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said and exchanged perspectives on friendship between the two countries.
Modi, who arrived here on a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with the Gulf nation's top leadership and is expected to sign an ambitious trade deal, said his trip offers an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to the bilateral partnership.
He was warmly welcomed by Sayyid Shihab at the airport and was accorded a ceremonial welcome.
"Landed in Muscat, Oman. This is a land of enduring friendship and deep historical connections with India. This visit offers an opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration and add fresh momentum to our partnership," Modi said in a social media post.
Modi is visiting Oman at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. This is his second visit to the Gulf nation.
"Extremely grateful to HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, for the warm welcome at Muscat airport. We also had a great interaction, exchanging perspectives on India-Oman friendship," Modi said.
Modi's visit is of special significance as it marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Prime Minister arrived here on the last leg of his three-nation tour. He earlier visited Ethiopia and Jordan.
When Modi arrived at the hotel, he was welcomed by the Indian community members. Local artists presented a traditional Omani performance. Indian artists presented colourful cultural performances, including Rajasthan's Ghoomar, Gujarati song, classical dance and Karnataka's folk dance.
He also witnessed an exhibition depicting 70 years of India-Oman diplomatic relations presented by diaspora at the hotel.
India has said that it is "very optimistic" about finalising an ambitious trade deal with Oman during the visit.
The free trade agreement between India and Oman was approved by the Union Cabinet last Friday.
Talks for the agreement, officially termed as CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement), formally began in November 2023, and the negotiations concluded this year.
"We are all very optimistic about it. The teams from both sides have been working very hard for its early finalisation," Arun Chatterjee, a secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), had said at a media briefing when asked whether the proposed India-Oman comprehensive economic partnership agreement will be inked during Modi's visit.
"We have immense faith that this agreement, if signed during this visit, will significantly deepen the economic ties between India and Oman. And it will open up a new chapter in the history of India-Oman trade and commercial relationship," he said.
During the visit, Modi will also hold discussions with Sultan Tarik on strengthening the Strategic Partnership as well as a strong commercial and economic relationship.
Modi is also scheduled to address a gathering of the Indian diaspora here.
"This visit will be an opportunity for both sides to comprehensively review the bilateral partnership, including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, defence, security, technology, agriculture and culture, as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the MEA said in an earlier statement.
Oman is the third-largest export destination for India among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. India already has a similar agreement with another GCC member, the UAE, which came into effect in May 2022.
India-Oman bilateral trade was about USD 10.5 billion (exports USD 4 billion and imports USD 6.54 billion) in 2024-25. India's key imports are petroleum products and urea. These account for over 70 per cent of imports. Other key products are propylene and ethylene polymers, pet coke, gypsum, chemicals, iron and steel, and unwrought aluminium.
The main items of India's exports to Oman include mineral fuels, chemicals, precious metals, iron and steel, cereals, ships, boats and floating structures, electrical machinery, boilers, tea, coffee, spices, apparel, and food items.
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IndiGo COO, aviation officials appear before Par panel; replies 'evasive, unconvincing'
New Delhi (PTI): A parliamentary panel examining the recent air traffic disruptions tried to fix responsibility for Indigo's mass cancellation of flights as senior aviation officials and IndiGo COO Isidro Porqueras appeared before it on Wednesday, but found the replies of the airline and DGCA "evasive and unconvincing", according to sources.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, chaired by JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, did not come to any conclusion and decided to wait for the report of the ongoing inquiry of the Civil Aviation Ministry before fixing the onus for the chaos that left thousands of travellers stranded across the country's airports, the sources said.
Some of the MPs questioned whether the ministry was unprepared for such a situation following the implementation of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms or if it was an "arms-twisting technique" adopted by Indigo to get the exemption for the new routine, the sources said.
The replies of the representatives of the Indigo and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCAO) were "evasive and unconvincing" and they tried to put the blame on technical issues rather than taking responsibility, a source privy to the discussions in the meeting said.
The committee did not take any view and decided to wait till the report of the ongoing investigation ordered by the civil aviation ministry comes, the sources said.
The ministry has constituted a four-member committee to review the circumstances leading to the massive operational disruptions. Its report is expected to be submitted on December 28.
A team of officials led by IndiGo's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Isidro Porqueras represented the airline, while Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha led the team of the ministry and DGCA.
Representatives of Air India, Air India Express, Akasha and SpiceJet also attended the nearly four-hour-long meeting.
The members said the panel has taken serious note of the difficulties faced by thousands of passengers due to disruption in air services.
Even parliamentarians, who were in the national capital for the Winter Session, faced the brunt of flight cancellations by IndiGo and delays by other airlines, a panel member said.
Several MPs also received complaints from people about air fares shooting up due to the scenario.
IndiGo cancelled hundreds of flights for days beginning December 2 across the country. Aviation regulator DGCA has served notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Porqueras, seeking their explanation.
In a statement, IndiGo had said the Board of Interglobe Aviation, its parent company, has set up a Crisis Management Group, "which is meeting regularly to monitor the situation".
"The company's Board of Directors is doing everything possible to take care of the challenges faced by its customers and ensure refunds to passengers", it said.
