Joint press release 2nd EU-Oman Senior Officials’ Meeting Working Groups - Muscat, 8 February 2022

The 2nd Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) between the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman was inaugurated by Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs, Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Al Harthy, and EEAS Deputy Managing Director Carl Hallergård. The focus today was on sectoral exchanges, following on the Political Consultations co-chaired by Sheikh Al Harty and EEAS Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora in June 2021.

These meetings were held in the framework of the Cooperation Arrangement between the EEAS and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman signed on 20 September 2018.

The sectoral exchanges were conducted in two Working Groups on i) the Trade and Economic Agenda and ii) the Global Agenda. Main topics included bilateral trade issues, the green transition, science and innovation, and security, including maritime security. In addition, and in recognition of Oman’s important role in the region in facilitating peaceful resolution of conflicts, colleagues explored potential cooperation on peace facilitation and conflict prevention.

The meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of progress since the first SOM in 2019 and to establish priorities for further cooperation through concrete initiatives and projects. A third Senior Officials' Meeting will be held in 2023 in Brussels, Belgium.

Ahead of the ministerial Council meeting between the European Union (EU) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members on 21 February in Brussels, EEAS Deputy Managing Director Hallergård held consultations with various Omani stakeholders on the ongoing review of the European Union’s policy towards the region, focused on the GCC.

Speaking after the meeting, EEAS Deputy Managing Director Hallergård said: “Today’s meeting is a testimony to the close EU-Oman partnership, which we are eager to enhance further in several fields from trade and investment and green transition to education and tourism, not least to assist the Omani side in the implementation of its Vision 2040.”

Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs, Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa Al Harthy, added: “The meeting we had reflects the deep relations the Sultanate of Oman has with the EU and I am confident that today’s discussions will result in concrete and tangible outcomes in a number of fields, consolidating Oman’s Vision 2040.”