SPEECH
BY SHRI K.R. NARAYANAN, PRESIDENT OF INDIA, WHILE ACCEPTING THE CREDENTIALS
FROM MR. KHALIFA BIN ALI BIN ESSA AL-HARTHY, AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE
OF THE SULTANATE OF OMAN TO INDIA
NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY, 20, 1999
Excellency,
It gives me great pleasure
to accept your Letter of Credence sent to me by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos
Bin Said Al Said of Oman, accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the Sultanate of Oman to the Republic of India.
India and Oman share
ancient ties. The people of our two countries sailed together across the
Indian Ocean as navigators and merchants and set up colonies in each others'
ports. India and Oman today enjoy the rich legacy of diverse relations and
deep friendship over the centuries.
India and Oman have made
great strides in developing bilateral relations in the last few years. The
driving force behind this special relationship has been the deep personal
commitment of Sultan Qaboos, which has been strongly reciprocated by the
Indian government. We recall with great happiness Sultan Qaboos's successful
visit to India in April 1997 when a new thrust was given to our bilateral
relationship. These ties were further consolidated with the visit to Salalah
of Prime Minister Vajpayee in August 1998, when the two leaders had substantial
discussions on matters of mutual interest.
I am confident that during
the tenure as Oman's Ambassador in India, our relations will continue to
flourish and we will explore new avenues for cooperation in political, economic
and cultural fields.
I would like to take
this opportunity of requesting you to convey my best wishes to His Majesty
Sultan Qaboos for a long and prosperous life and for the continued success
and prosperity of the friendly people of Oman. I also extend my best wishes
to you for a successful mission in India.
Thank you
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