Muscat – Afghanistan has requested Oman to establish direct flights between the two countries during a meeting between Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, and H E Sayyid Badr al Busaidi, Foreign Minister of Oman, on Tuesday evening.

Expressing gratitude to the Omani government for facilitating the operations of the Afghan Embassy in Muscat, Muttaqi outlined key priorities, including the issuance of work visas for Afghan nationals in Oman, facilitating Afghan exports to the Omani market, and resuming direct flights.

H E Sayyid Badr reaffirmed Oman’s support for efforts aimed at integrating Afghanistan into the international community while preserving its constructive role on regional and global platforms.

During the meeting, the two ministers discussed the historical ties between their nations and the shared cultural and civilisational values that bind them.

Both sides expressed a common desire to enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields, agreeing to encourage trade exchange and investment opportunities, particularly in food security.

They also discussed collaboration in education and training programmes to promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise.

Muttaqi emphasised the importance of such meetings in opening new avenues for cooperation, commending Oman’s foreign policy approach, which is based on respecting state sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, and promoting regional and global peace through dialogue and diplomacy.