Minsk: The state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to the Republic of Belarus this Monday and his meeting with President Alexander Lukashenko, represent a new milestone in the relations between the two friendly nations. It reflects the strength of existing ties and opens broader avenues for enhancing the strategic partnership and building bridges of mutual cooperation across various fields.
According to Oman News Agency, relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Belarus have witnessed continuous development and rapprochement since their diplomatic establishment on 23 July 1992. The official visit of the President of Belarus to Oman in December 2024 marked a stage for enhancing cooperation and partnership between the two friendly countries.
In terms of trade exchange, base metals and their manufactures, along with electrical machinery and equipment, topped the list of imported goods. Imports of precision instruments and appliances, particularly in optics, photography, medicine,
and surgery, also featured prominently, clearly indicating support for technical and health sectors. Regarding exports, plant-based products held a significant position, reflecting the diversity of local production and the enhancement of its competitiveness in regional and global markets.
Hamoud bin Salim Al Tuwaih, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Russian Federation and non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Belarus, affirmed to Oman News Agency (ONA) that the visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to Belarus is a historical event, being the first official visit by His Majesty the Sultan to this friendly country.
He pointed out that Omani-Belarusian relations will witness a qualitative leap, propelled by His Majesty’s historic visit towards developing mutual cooperation and achieving the common interests of both countries in line with their national strategies.
He added that the visit opens new horizons for bilateral cooperation in various political, economic and cultural fields, carr
ying a positive message that expresses Oman’s keenness to establish solid relations based on mutual respect and the achievement of common interests with various countries worldwide.
The ambassador noted that relations between Oman and Belarus have seen significant developments in recent years, evidenced by several high-level visits. In October 2024, high-level talks were held between officials of both countries in Muscat, resulting in the signing of three memoranda of understanding for cooperation in competition protection, monopoly prevention, consumer protection and information exchange in the securities market.
Hey stated: “Oman and Belarus have previously signed several agreements, such as those on air transport services to regulate operational and technical aspects of air services between the two countries, encouragement and protection of investment, economic and commercial cooperation, a memorandum of understanding for political consultations, double taxation avoidance, visa waiver for holders of dipl
omatic, special, and official passports, and cooperation between chambers of commerce and industry.”
He emphasized that the Republic of Belarus possesses a diverse industrial base encompassing heavy industry, agricultural machinery, and information technology, noting that the private sector in Belarus is encouraged to benefit from cooperation with its Omani counterpart, expand its base of commercial partners, and access the large markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, which include nearly 59 million consumers, and the emerging markets in Asia and Africa connected by shipping lines to Omani ports.
He touched on the ongoing cooperation between the National Museum of Oman and Belarusian museums, including the signing of an agreement to establish the “Arabic Language Culture Center” in 2016 within the structure of Minsk State University. The center typically sends students to study Arabic at Sultan Qaboos University. A memorandum of understanding in the field of heritage and culture was also signed
in Muscat on 1 April 2018, and another between the National Museum of Oman and the Museum of Natural History in Belarus in March 2018, both aimed at enhancing cooperation in cultural and museum work.
The ambassador pointed to numerous opportunities that both sides can explore to enhance trade volume and stimulate economic and investment activity. These include establishing partnerships for technology transfer from Belarus to Oman, setting up joint projects and factories focusing on knowledge-based industries and heavy industries such as medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and electronics.
He also highlighted cooperation in the tourism sector, with opportunities being explored to promote medical, industrial, and regular tourism between the two countries, and expanding investment in logistics, ports, and free commercial zones in Oman to make it a re-export hub to Africa and Asia, leveraging Oman’s geographical location. This is in addition to developing agricultural cooperation and food security, including pr
ojects for producing infant formula and dairy products, and cooperation in agricultural, fisheries, livestock, and water resources.
On his turn, Dr. Abdullah bin Masoud Al Harthy, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Belarus to Oman, told ONA that Belarus is a promising economic and investment partner.
He added that Belarus looks to Oman as a gateway to export its products to various world countries, noting its promising investment opportunities in industry, real estate development, education, health, food security, and timber.
Meanwhile, Faisal bin Abdullah Al Rowas, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told ONA that the state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to Belarus embodies the wise leadership’s keenness to expand horizons of international cooperation and enhance economic partnerships with various world countries, especially as both sides emphasized during the visit of President Alexander Lukashenko last December the importance of developing partners
hip in economic fields.