OMAR LEBBE AMEER AJWAD
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Sultanate of Oman
Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman celebrate 40th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations which also coincides with the 51st National Day of the Sultanate of Oman.
Historical Relations
Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman enjoy long-standing historical relations. As the nations sharing the Indian Ocean, links between the two countries are traced back to mist of history. Sri Lanka was known as “Serandib” among the ancient Omani seafarers. History records a visit of 9th century Omani trading vessel to the sea port of Galle in Sri Lanka. A replica of it named “Jewell of Muscat’ visited the Galle port in the year 2010 which symbolized the centuries long bilateral relations. This visit evokes memories of the cultural and trade exchanges that have taken place for over a thousand years between Sri Lanka and Oman. “Muscat” is a household name in Sri Lanka. “Omani Halva” is known as ‘Muscat’ in Sri Lanka. This demonstrates a vibrant tradition of people to people contacts between Sri Lanka and Oman for many centuries that has in turn contributed to a rich mosaic of cultures and values.
The bilateral partnership between the two countries have been consolidated over the past fourty years with the establishment of resident diplomatic Missions in both capitals, exchange of high level visits, signing of bilateral agreements, memorandums of understanding and the vibrant people to people contacts.
Diplomatic Relations
Sri Lanka resident Mission headed by a Charge d’ Affaires was established in Muscat in July 1987, with the first Resident Ambassador presenting credentials in October 1990. A Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka A.C. Shahul Hameed, paid an official visit to Oman for the ceremonial opening of the Embassy in December 1987. The Sultanate of Oman opened its Embassy in Colombo in 2013. The establishment of Resident Diplomatic Missions in both countries are important landmarks in the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Bilateral Engagement
The first ever bilateral discussions between Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman began with the visit of the former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka late Lakshman Kadirgamar who led a delegation to the Sultanate of Oman in February 1996. The visit paved the way to an official visit of a high level delegation from the Sultanate of Oman led by His Highness Sayyid Thuwainy bin Shihab Al Said, the Personal Representative of late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to Sri Lanka in February 1997 at the invitation by the then Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Srimavo Bandaranayake, the first woman Prime Minister in the world. His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the present Sultan of Oman, in his then capacity as the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman, visited Sri Lanka as a member of this high level delegation.
The subsequent exchange of high level visits over the years have facilitated enhancement of bilateral engagement in many areas of mutual interests. The establishment of Sri Lanka – Oman Parliamentary Friendship Association between the Parliament of Sri Lanka and the Shura Council of Oman paved the way for the reciprocal exchange of high level Parliamentary visits in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
The bilateral relations between the two countries were further consolidated by the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Bilateral Consultation between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries, on 31 October 2012 during the visit of H.E. Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, the former Minister Responsible for the Foreign Affairs of Oman to Sri Lanka. This MOU serves as a catalyst for the growing bilateral cooperation in multi-faceted areas between the two countries. The two rounds of political consultation meetings between the Foreign Ministries of the two countries, held in Muscat on 15th January 2014 and on 15th August 2018 in Colombo respectively, have identified an array of potential areas for cooperation including trade, investment, tourism, agriculture, fisheries, higher education, labour, manpower training, skill development, culture, defense, as well as oil and gas. The third round of consultation is scheduled to be held this year.
Highlights of the Year of 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Muscat in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry of Oman organized a special event to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Oman at the premises of the Foreign Ministry of Oman on 17th February 2021. To mark this historic occasion, both countries launched a memorial “logo” and the Foreign Ministers of both countries exchanged special messages of greetings. An Agreement on the mutual exemption of visa for the holders of Diplomatic, Special, Service and Official passports between Sri Lanka and Oman was also signed during the event to coincide this significant occasion.
National Chambers of Commerce of Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman signed the first ever Memorandum of Understanding of its kind in June 2021 with a view to enhancing business exchanges and connectivity to bolster trade and investment between the two countries coinciding this special occasion. A Business Forum with the participation of Government and private sector from both countries also held virtually followed by the signing ceremony.
The first ever ODI cricket between Sri Lankan and Omani national cricket teams ahead of ICC T20 World Cup 2021, was played in Oman in October 2021 with the commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the two countries. Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Minister of Youth & Sports, Minister of Development Co-ordination and Monitoring and State Minister of Digital Technology and Enterprise Development of Sri Lanka, visited the Sultanate of Oman at the invitation extended by H.H. Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham bin Tarik al Said, Crown Prince and the Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth of Oman, participated as a special guest at the inaugural ceremony of the final qualifiers of T20 Cricket World Cup 2021 hosted first time by Oman on 17th October 2021.
Hon. Ajith Nivard Cabral, former State Minister of Finance and Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms visited Oman as the Special Representative of Hon. Prime Minister of Sri Lanka together with 10 member delegation from Central Bank, State and Private Banks of Sri Lanka. Special Message from Hon. Prime minister of Sri Lanka addressed to His Majesty Sultan of Oman and handed over to HH Sayyid Asaad bin Tarik al Said, Deputy Prime Minister of Oman.
Economic Cooperation
Sri Lanka and Oman have embarked on an ambitious economic diversification drive. The National Policy Framework of the Government of Sri Lanka, “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” is a blueprint for Sri Lanka’s economic progress. Oman’s Vision 2040 is a clear roadmap towards Oman’s economic growth. These two national policy frameworks offer enormous opportunities for partnership between the Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman.
Since Sri Lanka and Oman are strategically located sharing the Indian Ocean, both countries are well poised for greater connectivity and deeper economic engagement. Being the coastal States, both nations have unexplored potential for collaboration in maritime sector including blue economy, port and shipping cooperation.
Trade
Trade links between Sri Lanka and Oman date back to several hundred years. Since Sri Lanka and Oman are successfully promoting their ports as economic hubs to other markets, there is enormous potential for both countries to collaborate in trade. Sri Lanka and Oman can complement each other in trade. Sri Lanka could serve as a pathway for Oman to enter South & Southeast Asian countries. In turn, Oman could serve as a gateway for Sri Lanka to enter Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions.
The Free Trade Agreements (FTA) that Sri Lanka has established with India, Pakistan and Singapore in the region as well as those FTAs which are on pipeline with China, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are greater opportunities for Omani investors to have access to larger regional markets. Similarly, Oman’s FTAs with USA, Singapore etc. as well as Oman’s traditional trade links with MENA regions are beneficial for Sri Lankan investors.
The Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion which was signed between Sri Lanka and Oman in August 2018 has laid the foundation for stronger business partnership. An Agreement on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments between the two Governments has also been proposed.
The total bilateral trade between the two countries has been steadily growing in the recent past.
Sri Lanka’s exports to Oman include fresh fruits, vegetables, coconut, tea, nuts and seeds, processed food, apparels, boards, panels, consoles, electrical and electronic products, transport equipment & parts etc. Potential products for imports from Sri Lanka to Oman include sweet biscuits, babies’ garments, clothing accessories of cotton, Food & beverages and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Ayurvedic and herbal products, coconut based products and value added tea products.
Sri Lanka’s imports from Oman include liquefied petroleum gas, petroleum products, light oils, chemical products, mineral or chemical fertilizers and edible fish products etc. The Government of Sri Lanka has awarded Oman Trading International Ltd to supply LPG for the State owned company called Litro Gas Lanka Ltd from 1st March 2020.
Food sector is a promising area for collaboration. There is a great potential in this sector for Joint Ventures in the Free Economic Zones of Oman for re-exportation. The business visit by eleven Sri Lankan food and beverages producer companies to Oman in October 2019 is now bearing fruit with the permission granted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Oman to import poultry products from Sri Lanka. The first ever exported Sri Lankan frozen chicken, arrived in Oman in June 2020 amidst covid pandemic.
Investment
Investment opportunities that are unfolding in different sectors in both Sri Lanka and Oman have opened up new vistas for collaboration.
Sri Lanka’s growing importance in the Indian Ocean as a key node in East-West trade, strategic geographic location close to major shipping lines, access to large regional markets, high quality logistics services, high corporate compliance standards, high literate and trainable workforce, provide a conducive climate for Omani investments.
Connectivity continues to ramp up via a well thought out rapid expansion of highway networks, while state-of-the-art deep water ports of Colombo and Hambantota (ability to cater to ‘Triple E Class’ larger ships) continue to ramp up capacity for sea cargo. Hence, investments in Sri Lanka have the potential to connect to global supply chains due to the country’s favourable relations with markets across South East Asia and beyond supported by high – quality port infrastructure. Moreover, specific investment zones, in the form of a mega industrial zone linked to the Hambantota port, the Colombo International Financial City (660 acres of reclaimed land, adjacent to the Colombo port), and specific new industrial parks targeting agricultural, manufacturing and IT exports represent the necessary backbone infrastructure for high-return generating investment projects. Sri Lanka also continues to build out a quality talent pool and a skilled workforce. Sri Lanka is ranked #1 in South Asia in the ‘Human Capital – Skills’ criteria in the Global Competitiveness Index, 2019.
The Sultanate’s long coastal line and the main nodes of Sohar, Salalah and Duqm combine port infrastructure with a variety of industrial and commercial activity under free zone, provides for potential investment partnerships between the Omani private sector and the Sri Lankan business community. Under Oman’s Vision 2040, tenth five year plan focuses on economic diversification on promising economic sectors such as high-tech converting industries, agriculture, fisheries, food processing, transporting, storing and logistics in which Sri Lanka and Oman have highly potential synergies for collaboration.
Agriculture/Food Processing and Fisheries sectors are promising area for collaboration. An Agreement in Agriculture and related field which is being finalized between the two counties, will facilitate deeper engagement in this sector. Manufacturing, ICT, Tourism, Construction and Infrastructure are other emerging potential areas for cooperation and colaboratiion between the two countries.
Tourism
Sri Lanka and Oman are popular tourist destinations. It would be mutually beneficial for both countries to seek cooperation in this area through regular interaction between the inbound and outbound tour operations, facilitated by the Government authorities. An MOU between Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman is being finalized on the tourism cooperation between the two countries which will enhance more engagement between the two countries in this sector.
Sri Lanka’s rich nature with the abundance of natural beauty, cultural heritage, numerous parks, long beaches, wildlife, adventure spots, wellness centers etc are major attractions for Omani tourists. Sri Lanka also emerging as destination for ayurvedic medical tourism for Omani tourists. Oman offers a variety of beautiful topographical features, incredible mountain ranges, historic forts, warm beaches, ancient aflaj oasis irrigation systems, wadis (stream valleys) etc for Sri Lankan tourists.
Frequent air connectivity, short duration of flight and attractive tour packages make these destinations preferred by tourists. Sri Lankan Airlines, Oman Air and SalamAir operate 26 scheduled flights from Muscat to Colombo per week. Sri Lanka’s re-opening for tourism recently after a brief closure due to pandemic, will serve as an impetus to the tourism industry of both countries.
Cooperation in the field of Labour
The Sri Lankan expatriate community in Oman is estimated to be around 30,000. The majority of them are domestic and semi-skilled workers. The rest include hotel employees, technicians, and professionals such as teachers, quantity surveyors, accountants, doctors, engineers and bankers.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Sri Lanka and Oman in the Field of Labour and Training in June 2014 has served as a platform for dialogue to enhance cooperation in this sector.
A Technical Committee comprising members from the Ministry of Foreign Employment of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Manpower of Oman serves as the implementation arm of this MoU. The Committee has held 4 annual meetings alternatively in both capitals and the 4th meeting was held virtually on 23 December 2020 despite covid pandemic challenges. The Committee discussed ways and means of enhancing cooperation between the two sides in the field of manpower, including cooperation in combining human trafficking. The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Oman implemented a new system of issuing No Objection Certificate (NoC) w.e.f. October 2020 to curb human trafficking of Sri Lanka female domestic workers.
Education and Technological Cooperation
Education and Technology are two promising areas that Sri Lanka and Oman could explore for cooperation. Both countries have proposed to sign an MOU in this area to promote engagement between educational institutions in both countries. Omani students have been pursuing their engineering and aircraft maintenance training at the Sri Lanka Aviation College as well as technological and hospitality management studies at the Sri Lanka Institute for Information Technology (SLIIT) and Colombo Academy of Hospitality Management.
Sri Lanka has proposed establishment of Petroleum & Lubricant Testing Laboratory in Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Sultanate of Oman.
Sultan Qaboos University of Oman and the University of Peradeniya of Sri Lanka have started a student exchange programme. Joint educational programmes, faculty members exchange programmes as well as collaborative programmes such as research, lectures, symposia, have also been proposed under the MoU.
Defense Cooperation
The Officers of the Royal Navy of Oman have been undergoing technician training in Sri Lanka at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and the Sri Lanka Navy Dockyard in Trincomalee. The duration of their training is one year. The regular interaction between the security establishments of Sri Lanka and Oman was initiated by the arrival of the Royal Omani Navy ship Khassab at the Colombo Port on goodwill visit in July 2016.
The participation of Omani defense officials in the annual Defense Seminar organized by the Ministry of Defense and the Galle Dialogue organized by the Sri Lankan Navy demonstrate close cooperation between the two countries. Sri Lanka is looking forward to enhance the cooperation with the Omani authorities to develop the maritime sector as well as enhance cooperation in handling issues common to the Indian Ocean such as human smuggling, piracy and drug trafficking.
A seventeen member delegation from the national Defense Collage of Oman (NDC) visited Sri Lanka in connection with the Fourth Round International visit of National Defense Collage from 18-25 march 2017 and exclusive program was arranged by the Ministry of Defense of Sri Lanka, including a briefing on Foreign Policy of Sri Lanka held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Multilateral Engagement
Sri Lanka and Oman continue to work together on common regional and international issues, particularly on the subjects of Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) and the Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Committee (IOMAC). At the inaugural meeting, when IOR-ARC was formally launched in Mauritius in 1997, Sri Lanka was unanimously elected as co-Vice-Chair of IOR-ARC along with the Sultanate of Oman. H.E. Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for the Foreign Affairs of Oman visited Sri Lanka in 2003 as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) to present his report to the 4th Council of Ministers Meeting hosted by Sri Lanka in 2003 for which the author of this article had the privilege of serving as the Desk Officer at the Ministry of Foreign of Affairs of Sri Lanka. Oman was the chair of IOR-ARC from 2001-2002. IOR-ARC which was later renamed as IORA in 2013.
Sri Lanka looks forward to continue to work closely with the Sultanate of Oman for the interest of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), of which Sri Lanka is the present Vice-Chair from 2021 – 2023 and will assume the Chairmanship from 2023 – 2025.
Sri Lanka and Oman also engage with other regional foras such as Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD), Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), NAM as well as the international organizations such as UNESCO, WTO, UNWTO, UN, etc.
People to People Contacts
People to people contacts had been the bedrock of Sri Lanka – Oman relations. Sri Lankan Community in Oman has been an important component in the bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Oman and they have been playing a significant role in furthering the relations between the two countries. The contribution of the Sri Lankan community in Oman towards the Sultanate’s progress for last 50 years under the blessed renaissance spearheaded by the visionary leadership of late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, has been acknowledged. The first Sri Lankan expatriate to arrive in Oman, according to available records, Mr. Felix de Silva, who joined the then called Omani Police Force in 1969 and was later appointed as the first Inspector General (IGP) of Royal Oman Police (ROP) in 1974.
The establishment of Sri Lankan Community School Muscat (SLSM) in 1988 is another milestone in the history of long standing relations between Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman. The SLSM which presently serves more than 1200 students belonging to diferent nationalities, is a living icon to demonstrate Sri Lankan identity in Muscat. The Sri Lankan Community Social Club in Oman, which was established in 1997, plays an important role in connecting Sri Lankan community in Oman and fostering mutual understanding and co-operation amongst them.
Conclusion
Given the Sri Lanka and Oman bilateral relations have diversified to encompass a wide range of areas over the last four decades and two nations have now embarked on an economic diversification drive, it is imperative for both courtiers to now focus on the enhancement of economic cooperation and partnership in the years ahead for the mutual benefits of both peoples. The vision of H.E. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka, “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” and Oman’s Vision 2040 engineered by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, are the clear roadmap towards this end with a view to achieving another milestone in the bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman.
