TEHRAN, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian departed Tehran on Tuesday for the Omani capital Muscat for high-level talks on bilateral ties as well regional and international issues of common interest.
During his two-day official visit, Pezeshkian is scheduled to meet with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, according to a statement published on the website of Pezeshkian's office.
Speaking before his departure, Pezeshkian outlined the objectives of the visit, which include discussing bilateral relations and issues in West Asia, especially the ongoing situation in Gaza, ensuring regional peace, and fostering a shared understanding on areas of common concern.
He stressed that during the visit, he would meet senior Omani officials to exchange views on bilateral cooperation in the areas of road construction, shipping, trade, industry, science, technology and communications.
According to Pezeshkian, annual trade between Iran and Oman currently stands at approximately 2.3 billion U.S. dollars.
Muscat is Pezeshkian 10th foreign destination since taking office in July last year.
Announcing the visit in a post on social media platform X earlier this month, Mehdi Sanaei, the Iranian president's political advisor, said that during the trip, Pezeshkian is expected to sign several cooperation documents, including a preferential trade agreement, deals to support mutual investments, enhance customs cooperation, and a roadmap for strengthening bilateral relations.
The visit comes as Oman has, since April, been facilitating indirect talks between Iranian and U.S. delegations on Tehran's nuclear program and the lifting of U.S. sanctions.
In May 2023, Oman's sultan visited Tehran for talks on regional and bilateral issues. ■
