His Majesty and Turkish President witness signing of 10 agreements
His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Republic of Türkiye presided over the signing of 10 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara today.
The signing took place during His Majesty’s state visit to Türkiye.
Two agreements in the fields of joint investment and health were signed, along with eight MoUs in the fields of political consultations, investment promotion, agriculture, fisheries, livestock, water, labour, employment, entrepreneurship, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), cooperation between central banks, and cultural cooperation.
His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik delivered a speech during the signing ceremony as follows:
“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it is a great pleasure for us to be in Ankara, the capital of your hospitable country, the friendly Republic of Türkiye, and to express our great satisfaction with the constructive dialogue and consultations we held with Your Excellency and members of your government.
“We are pleased to seize this opportunity to underscore the depth of historical relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Türkiye. We look forward to consolidating these relations in all areas of common interest to our two countries, towards a promising future of further growth and prosperity — a future embodied in the shared vision that will be developed by the two sides in the forthcoming stage.
“Our relations, Your Excellency, are a vital model of fruitful cooperation. Turkish companies have played a vital role in supporting infrastructure and development projects in the Sultanate of Oman. Meanwhile, Omani investments in Türkiye reflect our firm confidence in the strength of the Turkish economy and the constructive ties that unite the economies of the two countries.
“We have instructed the members of the Omani government to continue working diligently with their Turkish counterparts and to accord priority to vital areas of cooperation. We hope to expand the volume of commercial exchanges and to encourage the establishment of joint economic projects through the joint investment fund that was launched today to serve a number of strategic sectors, notably industries related to renewable energy and defence industries, in addition to cooperation between our educational institutions to develop research, innovation and the areas of technology, health care and food security, among others.
“We also underline the importance of cultural cooperation, which contributes to enriching knowledge and cultural interaction among peoples.
“Our two countries share a firm commitment to support efforts for peace and stability. We value the efforts made to enhance regional cooperation. We would like to express our great appreciation for Türkiye’s stands on the major issues affecting our region. We continue to adhere to constant principles towards the realisation of a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, based on the Two State Solution. We are confident in Türkiye’s strong backing for this legitimate cause and the country's endeavours to help achieve justice and peace for all.
“Mr President, we thank you very much for this kind invitation, and the warm welcome accorded to us and for the sincere hospitality extended to us. We are pleased to reiterate our invitation to you Mr President to visit the Sultanate of Oman so that we can once again celebrate the historical friendship and civilisational communication between our two countries. Your Excellency’s visit to Oman would enhance our fraternal relations towards further progress and constructive cooperation benefiting the two friendly peoples.
“Please accept our sincere wishes of further progress and prosperity for the friendly people of Turkiye.”
In his speech, President Erdoğan, welcomed His Majesty noting that this was the first high-level official visit since the start of diplomatic relations between the two countries that are bound by deep-rooted historical and fraternal ties. He said that the visit would raise bilateral relations into higher spheres in all fields.
President Erdoğan expressed his great thanks for the sincere sentiments of solidarity shown by His Majesty in the aftermath of the earthquake disaster that hit Türkiye last year.
He expressed his deep appreciation for the efforts made by His Majesty in the context of the Yemeni crisis, as well as His Majesty’s stands on many other matters of concern to the region, noting that His Majesty shows a high sense of responsibility and has always worked hard for the realisation of peace.
President Erdoğan added that his discussions with His Majesty focused on building an “institutional character” to bilateral relations and studying all options for developing a consultative cooperation mechanism.
He explained that with the signing of 10 agreements and memoranda of understanding, the two countries are seeking to raise the volume of economic and commercial relations to $5 billion in the first phase.
President Erdoğan said that bilateral cooperation will enter a new era in the field of energy with the import of liquefied natural gas from the Sultanate of Oman starting early next year, in addition to cooperation in the field of defence industries.
He said that the session of talks also touched on current developments in the region. In this context, he voiced his appreciation for Oman's support for efforts aimed at resolving regional and international issues through dialogue, consultation, cooperation and shared views about these issues. He added that the priority now is the need to develop a tangible and comprehensive cooperation between Islamic countries to confront the massacres committed by the Israeli occupation forces in Palestine and to address the assaults that continue to threaten the security of the region.
The first of the 10 agreements signed relates to the partnership between Oman Investment Authority and the Turkish Armed Forces Retirement Fund (OYAK). It aims to establish a joint entity worth $500 million to invest in various sectors including food, industry, healthcare, new energy, consumption and logistics services.
The investment will be made in existing companies or promising new projects managed by a joint board that includes representatives from both parties.
The agreement also aims to develop strategic companies and promote investments that achieve the economic and development goals of both parties, while adhering to the principles of confidentiality, transparency and effective governance.
The second agreement, signed between Oman’s Ministry of Health and its Turkish counterpart in the field of health, includes a number of items, such as cooperation in the fields of health and medical sciences, and developing the partnership between the two countries in several key areas, including public health, hospital management, pharmaceutical industries, medical equipment, health investments, research fields, and organising health conferences and exhibitions.
An MoU in the political field between the Foreign Ministries of both countries covers holding political consultations, in affirmation of the two countries’ commitment to developing their bilateral relations and exploring new areas of cooperation in various political, economic, cultural, technological and scientific sectors.
In the diplomatic field, Oman’s Foreign Ministry, represented by the Diplomatic Academy, signed an MoU with its Turkish counterpart. It aims to enhance cooperation between the two sides in the field of diplomatic studies and training through the exchange of expertise, educational materials and specialised curricula, in addition to organising lectures and exchanging faculty members and diplomats, in a manner that contributes to honing professional skills and enhancing competencies in the fields of foreign policy, international relations, international law and international economics.
In the field of investment promotion, Oman’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye signed an MoU to establish a joint framework to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise in vital sectors, including food security, agriculture, logistics and transportation, infrastructure projects, minerals, financial and banking projects, tourism, information technology and industry. The scope of the fields covered is open to expansion in the future.
An MoU relating to agricultural matters was also signed between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources and the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. This memorandum deals with cooperation in the fields of agriculture, livestock, fisheries, information exchange, research experiments and rural development. It also aims to promote joint investments in the agricultural and food sectors, as well as developing water desalination technologies, renewable energy and boosting national competencies in managing flood situations.
A further MoU was signed between the Ministry of Labour and the Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security dealing with boosting relations in the fields of workforces, health and safety, work inspections, employment policies, supporting the employment of people with disabilities and vocational recruitment. It also covers exchanging expertise and best practice in the fields of training and career guidance.
An MoU was also signed between the Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (ASMED) and the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology to enhance cooperation in the fields of entrepreneurship, developing SMEs, and exchanging information and expertise to support innovation, financing and innovative solutions.
The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) and the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye signed an MoU to raise cooperation in fields related to the work of central banks. It aims to boost information exchange, set up periodic discussions at the level of experts and organise joint activities, including training, workshops and research. The MoU covers cooperation in the field of payment methods and cross border organisations. It also includes articles to ensure adherence to local laws and safeguarding the confidentiality of information, as well as conducting annual meetings to evaluate progress.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism signed an MoU dealing with advancing cultural cooperation through the exchange of information regarding events, organising cultural days and developing cultural techniques. It covers exchanging expertise in areas related to national libraries, preserving cultural collections and their digitisation, as well as promoting arts and cultural products. It also covers conducting joint artistic exhibitions and visits for artists and musicians, as well as participating in theatrical, musical and cinema festivals, and cooperating in the visual arts.
The two agreements and 8 MoUs were signed on behalf of Oman by Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, Foreign Minister; Abdulsalam Al Murshidi, President of the Oman Investment Authority and Qais Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion.
The agreements and MoUs were signed on behalf of Türkiye by Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye.
This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.