Oman–United States relations

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Oman – United States relations
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Oman
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United States

The United States relationship with Oman dates back 200 years, with American merchant ships making port calls in Oman as early as 1790. Oman was the first nation from the Arabian Peninsula to recognize the United States, sending an envoy in 1841. [1]

Contents

History

19th century

Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah meets with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right) in 2019 Secretary Pompeo Meets with Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah (49122183176).jpg
Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah meets with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right) in 2019
Royal Navy of Oman sailors receive training from the US Coast Guard aboard the USS Normandy (CG-60) in 2019 U.S. Coast Guardmen give tactical team movement training to Royal Navy of Oman sailors aboard USS Normandy (CG 60). (49054644966).jpg
Royal Navy of Oman sailors receive training from the US Coast Guard aboard the USS Normandy (CG-60) in 2019

The United States had established trade relations with the Sultanate in the early years of American independence. The first Treaty of Amity and Commerce [2] was concluded at Muscat on September 21, 1833, by Edmund Roberts and Said bin Sultan. The treaty was the first agreement of its kind with an independent Arab state in the Persian Gulf. This initial treaty was replaced by the Treaty of Amity, Economic Relations, and Consular Rights signed at Salalah on December 20, 1958.

20th century

A U.S. consulate was maintained in Muscat from 1880 until 1916. Thereafter, U.S. interests in Oman were handled by U.S. diplomats resident in other countries. In 1972, the U.S. ambassador in Kuwait was accredited also as the first U.S. ambassador to Oman, and the U.S. embassy, headed by a resident charge d'affaires, was opened. The first resident U.S. ambassador took up his post in July 1974. The Oman embassy was opened in Washington, DC, in 1973.

U.S.-Omani relations were deepened in 1980 by the conclusion of two important agreements. One provided access to Omani military facilities by U.S. forces under agreed-upon conditions. The other agreement established a Joint Commission for Economic and Technical Cooperation, located in Muscat, to provide U.S. economic assistance to Oman. The Joint Commission continued in existence until the mid-1990s. A Peace Corps program, which assisted Oman mainly in the fields of health and education, was initiated in 1973 and phased out in 1983. A team from the Federal Aviation Administration worked with Oman's Civil Aviation Department on a reimbursable basis but was phased out in 1992.

In 1974 and April 1983, Sultan Qaboos of Oman made state visits to the United States. Vice President George H. W. Bush visited Oman in 1984 and 1986, and President Bill Clinton visited briefly in March 2000.

21st century

Vice President Dick Cheney visited Oman in 2002, 2005, and 2006.

In March 2005, the U.S. and Oman launched negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement that were successfully concluded in October 2005. The FTA was signed on January 19, 2006, and went into force on January 1, 2009. [3]

Following the termination of the British Persian Gulf Residency and withdrawal of British troops in 1971, the U.S. and Oman have maintained a strong defense partnership with the latter earning accolades for its leadership role in the mediation of the Yemini Civil War and the negotiations that formed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and its overall promotion of stability in the region. [4]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">India–Oman relations</span> Bilateral relations

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jebel Akhdar War</span> 1950s rebellion in Oman

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iran–Oman relations</span> Bilateral relations

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oman–Syria relations</span> Bilateral relations

Oman–Syria relations refer to the relationship between the Sultanate of Oman and the Syrian Arab Republic. Oman has an embassy in Damascus; while Syria has an embassy in Muscat. Both are members of the Arab League, and despite the ongoing civil war occurring in Syria, Oman has not closed its embassy in Syria and both countries maintain diplomatic relations, in sharp contrast to other Arab states of the Persian Gulf who have cut off diplomatic ties with Syria and closed their embassies.

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Oman–Tanzania relations are the diplomatic relations between Oman and Tanzania. The Sultanate of Oman has one of the oldest historical relationship with communities in Tanzania, namely in Zanzibar. Oman is the only country outside Africa where Swahili is spoken as a first language, and its people have blood relations with the people of Tanzania.

References

  1. "MEDIK - the Sultanate of Oman". Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  2. Treaty of Amity and Commerce, p. 458. U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875
  3. Oman Free Trade Agreement, Office of the US Trade Representative, accessed 13 January 2020
  4. Sharp, Jeremy M. (2 March 2023). Oman: Politics, Security, and U.S. Policy (Report). Congressional Research Service.

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.