President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said discussed the Yemeni crisis and bilateral relations between them on Sunday in the Omani capital city Muscat, said presidency spokesperson Bassam Rady in a statement. During the meeting, Qaboos praised Egypt's role in contributing to the security and stability of the Gulf countries and the whole Arab world, asserting his country's support for Egypt in its war on terrorism. He also expressed Oman's keenness on boosting bilateral relations with Egypt, and hope that the visit would boost cooperation between the two countries, according to the statement. For his part, Al-Sisi expressed Egypt's appreciation for Oman and Sultan Qaboos' stances towards Egypt. He also expressed Egypt's keenness on boosting cooperation with Oman in all fields in order to achieve the mutual interest of the two countries. Rady said that the two leaders agreed to develop the level of economic cooperation and commercial exchange through the two countries' mutual committee, which is set to hold its upcoming round in Muscat. They also discussed international and regional issues of mutual interest. According to the statement, the two leaders agreed on the importance of international cooperation in order to reach political settlements to regional crises, especially in Yemen. During the meeting, Qaboos briefed Al-Sisi on his views to address the Yemeni crisis and to preserve Yemen's integrity, according to the statement. Al-Sisi briefed Qaboos on the updates of the situation in Egypt since the 25 January revolution and the challenges that the state faces, as well as its economic reforms, said Rady. The Egyptian president's visit to Oman came as the first of its kind for him since he assumed power in 2014. Oman is a neutral state that adopts a self-distancing policy regarding international and regional crises. The Gulf country did not get involved in the Gulf crisis between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt on one side, and Qatar on the other. Oman participated in the inauguration of Al-Sisi through a high-ranking delegation, and it also participated in the Egypt Economic Development Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2015. Also, an Omani delegation participated in the opening of the New Suez Canal.
