On last leg of his tour, PM Narendra Modi to visit 125-year-old Shiva Temple in Muscat

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Oman on the last leg of his tour of three West Asian countries, will on Monday visit a 125-year old Shiva temple in Muscat.

Later in the day, the Prime Minister will be at the grand Sultan Qaboos Mosque which is built from 300,000 tonnes of Indian sandstone. He is also slated to meet a group of Omani CEOs.

On Sunday, he held wide-ranging talks with the Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said al Said as the two sides signed eight agreements. He met Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs Sayyid Asa'ad bin Tariq Al Said.

Sultan Qaboos appreciated the contribution of honest and hard working Indian nationals in the development of Oman. Eight Agreements/MoUs were also signed during the productive visit. pic.twitter.com/69dA4NIPNb — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 11, 2018

He also led delegation-level talks with the Sultan and discussed measures to strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, energy, defence, security, food security and regional issues.

After their talks, the two sides signed eight agreements, including a MoU on legal and judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters.

They also signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special, service and official passports and a MoU on cooperation in the field of health, tourism and peaceful uses of outer space.

Plus, the two countries signed an agreement on cooperation between Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, India and Oman's Diplomatic Institute.

Also, Sultan Qaboos appreciated the contribution of "honest and hardworking" Indian nationals in the development of Oman.

Earlier, addressing the Indian diaspora at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Oman's capital, PM Modi said the ties of India and Oman have always remained strong despite the ups and downs in the political environment in both the countries.

More than nine million Indians work and live in the Gulf region. In Oman, they constitute the largest expatriate community.

On February 12, the Prime Minister will depart for New Delhi.