Oman, UK sign defence pact

London: Oman and UK on Tuesday signed an annex of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), which was signed in 1994.
It pertains to defence cooperation between the two countries. It was signed by Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib Al Busaidi, Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs and Michael Fallon, UK Secretary of State for Defence on behalf of the two sides.
The annex represents a framework regularising mechanisms and procedures pertaining to the status of their forces and procedures of the judicial authority in the two countries on the basis of reciprocity. The two parties are given the same legal status for their visiting forces in the two friendly countries. The two sides also reviewed areas of existing military cooperation and exchanged viewpoints on issues of common concern between the two friendly countries.
The signing ceremony and session of talks were attended from the Omani side by the Sultanate’s ambassador to the UK, the Omani Military Attaché in London and the delegation accompanying Sayyid Badr whereas they were attended from the British side by officials at the Ministry of Defence.