His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and President Stjepan Mesić of Croatia held an official session of talks at Al Alam Palace Guest House here yesterday. During the session, His Majesty and President Mesić discussed all aspects of co-operation and ways of enhancing bilateral relations to serve the joint interests of the friendly Omani and Croatian peoples. They also reviewed developments in the international arena.

The session was attended from the Omani side by His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers, Sayyid Ali bin Hamoud al Busaidy, Minister of the Diwan of the Royal Court, Gen Ali bin Majid al Maamari, Minister of the Royal Office, Sayyid Badr bin Saud al Busaidy, Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs, Sayyid Saud bin Ibrahim al Busaidy, Minister of Interior, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah al Hinai, Minister of Justice, Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki, Minister of National Economy and Supervisor of the Finance Ministry, Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry (Head of the Mission of Honour accompanying the guest), and Shaikh Dr Badr bin Mohammed al Hinai, the Sultanate's ambassador to Austria and its non-resident Ambassador to Croatia.

The talks were attended from the Croatian side by Duro Popijac, Minister of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship, Amir Muharemi, Chief of General Staff of the Croatian President's Office, Tomislav Jakić, Foreign Policy Advisor to the President, Drazen Margeta, Croatian ambassador to the Sultanate, Dr. Davor Bozinovic, State Secretary for Political Affairs at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Dr. Izet Aganovic, Science and Education Advisor, the Sultanate of Oman Honorary Consul to Croatia; the Director of the Export and Investment Support Agency and the Deputy Director of the Croatian Chamber of Economy for International Affairs, the assistant for the President Advisor for foreign Political Affairs.

President Mesić arrived in the Sultanate earlier in the day on an official visit to the Sultanate and he was accorded an official welcome. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos led the welcoming party for the president upon the arrival of his motorcade at Muscat Gate. The welcoming party included HH Sayyid Fahd, Sayyid Ali, Gen Al Maamari, Sayyid Badr, Sayyid Saud, Alawi, Al Hinai, Macki, Maqbool and Oman’s ambassador to Austria and its non-resident ambassador to Croatia. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and his guest took the main vehicle of the motorcade from Muscat Gate to Al Alam Palace.

Upon arrival at Al Alam Palace Guest House courtyard, His Majesty the Sultan accompanied President Mesić to the Dais of Honour where the National Anthem of Croatia was played while the artillery fired a twenty-one gun salute for the guest. Then, His Majesty the Sultan shook hands with members of the official delegation accompanying President Stjepan Mesić. The guest also shook hands with the welcoming party which included chairmen of the Majlis Addawla and Majlis Ash’shura, ministers, commanders of the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) wings and the Royal Oman Police and members of the mission of honour accompanying the President. His Majesty the Sultan and President Stjepan Mesić then proceeded to a hall where Arabian coffee was served.