Omani top diplomat arrives in Pakistan amid widening Middle East conflict

Top Omani diplomat Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi arrived in Pakistan for a two-day visit late Tuesday amid the widening Middle East war, according to a statement.

Albusaidi, who is visiting at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, was received by senior Foreign Ministry officials in Islamabad.

The 8th Session of the Pakistan-Oman Joint Ministerial Commission will also be held in Islamabad during the visit.

The session would be co-chaired by the two foreign ministers and serve as an important platform to review the spectrum of Pakistan-Oman relations, and to further strengthen cooperation in diverse fields.

Albusaidi will also hold a meeting with Dar.

He is also expected to pay a courtesy call to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

His visit coincides with regional diplomacy to contain escalating hostilities in the Middle East.

The two countries have been part of mediatory efforts aimed at bringing a negotiated settlement to the US-Iran war, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Oman has engaged in talks with Iran focusing on establishing temporary or safe commercial shipping routes through the near-closed waterway.