§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the visit by the Minister of State to Oman. [75773]
§ Mr. FatchettI visited Oman on 2–4 March for discussions on regional and bilateral issues with His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and senior Omani Ministers. The visit enabled me to reaffirm the importance the United Kingdom places on existing political and commercial relations with Oman, and on the security of the Gulf region as a whole. Oman is one of our oldest friends in a184W region of key interest to the United Kingdom. We are keen to maintain the long-standing ties which exist between our two countries.